Develop railway engineering modules in UTK civil engineering undergraduate and graduate courses.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-05-31

The importance of railway transport has long been recognized. However, no railway : engineering courses have been provided in the UTK civil engineering curricula. The : objective of this education project is to develop some railway engineering module...

Enrichment and Bioavailability of Trace Elements in Soil in Vicinity of Railways in Japan.

PubMed

Wang, Zhen; Watanabe, Izumi; Ozaki, Hirozaku; Zhang, Jianqiang

2018-01-01

This study focuses on the concentrations, distribution, pollution levels, and bioavailability of 12 trace elements in soils along 6 different railways in Japan. Three diesel powered railways and three electricity powered railways were chosen as target. Surface soils (< 3 cm) were collected in vicinity of railways for analysis. Digestion and extraction were performed before concentration and bioavailability analysis. Enrichment factor was applied to investigate contamination levels of selected elements. The mean concentrations of Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sn, and Pb in soil samples were higher than soil background value in Japan. Concentrations of trace elements in soils along different railway had different characteristics. Horizontal distribution of Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, and Pb in soil samples showed obviously downtrend with distance along railways with high frequency. Concentrations of V, Mn, Fe, and Co were higher in soils along railways which pass through city center. According to principal component analysis and cluster analysis, concentrations of Cu, Zn, Sn, and Pb could be considered as the indicators of soil contamination level along electricity powered trains, whereas indicators along diesel powered trains were not clear. Enrichment factor analysis proved that operation of freight trains had impact on pollution level of Cr, Ni, and Cd. Bioavailability of Mn, Co, Zn, and Cd in soil along electricity-powered railways were higher, and bioavailability of Pb in railways located in countryside was lower. Thus, enrichment and bioavailability of trace elements can be indicators of railway-originated trace elements pollution in soil.

Analyzing the causation of a railway accident based on a complex network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xin; Li, Ke-Ping; Luo, Zi-Yan; Zhou, Jin

2014-02-01

In this paper, a new model is constructed for the causation analysis of railway accident based on the complex network theory. In the model, the nodes are defined as various manifest or latent accident causal factors. By employing the complex network theory, especially its statistical indicators, the railway accident as well as its key causations can be analyzed from the overall perspective. As a case, the “7.23” China—Yongwen railway accident is illustrated based on this model. The results show that the inspection of signals and the checking of line conditions before trains run played an important role in this railway accident. In conclusion, the constructed model gives a theoretical clue for railway accident prediction and, hence, greatly reduces the occurrence of railway accidents.

78 FR 30395 - Grainbelt Corporation-Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company and Stillwater Central...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-22

...)] Grainbelt Corporation--Trackage Rights Exemption--BNSF Railway Company and Stillwater Central Railroad... and grantors BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) and Stillwater Central Railroad Company (SLWC) exempted in Grainbelt Corporation--Trackage Rights Exemption--BNSF Railway Company and Stillwater Center Railroad...

Opportunity to Save Historical Railway Infrastructure - Adaptation and Functional Conversion of Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podwojewska, Magdalena

2017-10-01

After years of neglect and underinvestment, the Polish railways are now witnessing a rapid modernization of both their technical facilities and rolling stock. However, this is true only of the main railway lines connecting major urban complexes. It is worth pointing out that a great number of secondary lines, railway stations and halts still has not been covered by the transformation process. Railway facilities, warehouses and service features are in decay. Rapid technological developments have caused numerous architectural structures of historical interest and service features to fall out of use. There are historical railway facilities dating back to the late 19th or early 20th centuries, whose condition is constantly deteriorating. The only way to save these structures is to change the manner, in which they are being used, and attract new investors and operators. The adaptation of buildings may be carried out in a number of ways by following different strategies. The process depends on the structure’s current condition and significance for the railway network. The facilities which are disused as a result of technological changes in the rolling stock and infrastructure include workshops, steam locomotive bays, turntables and warehouses. Their size and location within a city make them a perfect place for commercial services, exhibitions, heritage sites, concerts and other events attracting great numbers of people. Other strategies may be used for constructions located next to railways lines, whose role has declined. Such constructions include small railway stations, warehouses, reloading and forwarding facilities, railway ramps, railway staff buildings as well as residences for railway employees. Railway stations located at large junctions can handle passenger traffic or freight loading operations. As well as acting as the only window to the world, railway stations in small towns housed all the services available in the place. At the same time, they served as meeting spots, community centres and places of particular social importance. Therefore, successful renewal requires adaptation and functional conversion in order to cater to the needs of the inhabitants and visiting travellers. Such activities should focus on architectural, social and economic spaces. This paper presents small railway stations of historical value with a view to their adaptive potential, as well as examples of completed adaptation projects.

Impact of service quality management (SQM) practices on Indian railways : study of South Central Railways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

The main objective of this study is to present a framework developed for assisting Railways to monitor and : control the quality of services provided to passengers. The study evaluated the passenger Rail Service quality of : Indian Railways by develo...

56. Detail of gear for Marine Railway #2, steam powered ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

56. Detail of gear for Marine Railway #2, steam powered Marine Railway Headhouse, south end: hole in foreground is where gear now installed in Headhouse for Marine Railway #3 was removed. - Thames Tow Boat Company, Foot of Farnsworth Street, New London, New London County, CT

Influence of Initial Inclined Surface Crack on Estimated Residual Fatigue Lifetime of Railway Axle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Náhlík, Luboš; Pokorný, Pavel; Ševčík, Martin; Hutař, Pavel

2016-11-01

Railway axles are subjected to cyclic loading which can lead to fatigue failure. For safe operation of railway axles a damage tolerance approach taking into account a possible defect on railway axle surface is often required. The contribution deals with an estimation of residual fatigue lifetime of railway axle with initial inclined surface crack. 3D numerical model of inclined semi-elliptical surface crack in railway axle was developed and its curved propagation through the axle was simulated by finite element method. Presence of press-fitted wheel in the vicinity of initial crack was taken into account. A typical loading spectrum of railway axle was considered and residual fatigue lifetime was estimated by NASGRO approach. Material properties of typical axle steel EA4T were considered in numerical calculations and lifetime estimation.

Evaluation of railway transportation efficiency based on super-cross efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuang, Xiuyuan

2018-01-01

The efficiency of railway transportation is an important index. It can measure the development of railway transportation enterprises, and the efficiency of railway transportation has become a hot issue in the study of railway development. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been widely applied to railway efficiency analysis. In this paper, BBC model and super-cross efficiency model are constructed by using DEA theory, taking the 18 Railway Bureau as the research object, with the mileage, the number of employees, locomotive number, average daily loading number as input indicators, the passenger turnover, freight turnover and transport income as output indicators, then calculated and evaluated comprehensive efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency. We get that the super-cross efficiency is more in line with the actual situation. Getting the super-cross efficiency is more in line with the actual situation.

78 FR 50141 - Illinois Central Railroad Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-16

... Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- BNSF Railway Company BNSF Railway Company (BNSF), pursuant to... rights to Illinois Central Railroad Company (IC), a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Canadian National Railway Company, over BNSF's Thayer South Subdivision, between milepost 483.8 at CN Junction and...

20 CFR 202.15 - Railway labor organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Railway labor organizations. 202.15 Section... EMPLOYERS UNDER THE ACT § 202.15 Railway labor organizations. Railway labor organizations, national in scope... bylaws of such organizations, shall be employers within the meaning of the act. (a) An organization doing...

20 CFR 202.13 - Electric railways.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true Electric railways. 202.13 Section 202.13... THE ACT § 202.13 Electric railways. (a) The Deputy General Counsel will require the submission of information pertaining to the history and operations of an electric railway with a view to determining whether...

20 CFR 202.13 - Electric railways.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Electric railways. 202.13 Section 202.13... THE ACT § 202.13 Electric railways. (a) The Deputy General Counsel will require the submission of information pertaining to the history and operations of an electric railway with a view to determining whether...

20 CFR 202.13 - Electric railways.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Electric railways. 202.13 Section 202.13... THE ACT § 202.13 Electric railways. (a) The Deputy General Counsel will require the submission of information pertaining to the history and operations of an electric railway with a view to determining whether...

20 CFR 202.13 - Electric railways.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2014-04-01 2012-04-01 true Electric railways. 202.13 Section 202.13... THE ACT § 202.13 Electric railways. (a) The Deputy General Counsel will require the submission of information pertaining to the history and operations of an electric railway with a view to determining whether...

76 FR 32266 - Maine Northern Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-03

... written trackage rights agreement, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd. (MMA) has agreed to grant... milepost 109 on MMA's Millinocket Subdivision) and Brownville Junction, Me. (at or about milepost 104.84 on the Mattawamkeag Subdivision of the Eastern Maine Railway (EMR)), including MMA's Brownville Junction...

Optimization research of railway passenger transfer scheme based on ant colony algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Xiang

2018-05-01

The optimization research of railway passenger transfer scheme can provide strong support for railway passenger transport system, and its essence is path search. This paper realized the calculation of passenger transfer scheme for high speed railway when giving the time and stations of departure and arrival. The specific method that used were generating a passenger transfer service network of high-speed railway, establishing optimization model and searching by Ant Colony Algorithm. Finally, making analysis on the scheme from LanZhouxi to BeiJingXi which were based on high-speed railway network of China in 2017. The results showed that the transfer network and model had relatively high practical value and operation efficiency.

Characteristics of suicide hotspots on the Belgian railway network.

PubMed

Debbaut, Kevin; Krysinska, Karolina; Andriessen, Karl

2014-01-01

In 2004, railway suicide accounted for 5.3% of all suicides in Belgium. In 2008, Infrabel (Manager of the Belgian Railway Infrastructure) introduced a railway suicide prevention programme, including identification of suicide hotspots, i.e., areas of the railway network with an elevated incidence of suicide. The study presents an analysis of 43 suicide hotspots based on Infrabel data collected during field visits and semi-structured interviews conducted in mental health facilities in the vicinity of the hotspots. Three major characteristics of the hotspots were accessibility, anonymity, and vicinity of a mental health institution. The interviews identified several risk and protective factors for railway suicide, including the training of staff, introduction of a suicide prevention policy, and the role of the media. In conclusion, a comprehensive railway suicide prevention programme should continuously safeguard and monitor hotspots, and should be embedded in a comprehensive suicide prevention programme in the community.

Railway crossing risk area detection using linear regression and terrain drop compensation techniques.

PubMed

Chen, Wen-Yuan; Wang, Mei; Fu, Zhou-Xing

2014-06-16

Most railway accidents happen at railway crossings. Therefore, how to detect humans or objects present in the risk area of a railway crossing and thus prevent accidents are important tasks. In this paper, three strategies are used to detect the risk area of a railway crossing: (1) we use a terrain drop compensation (TDC) technique to solve the problem of the concavity of railway crossings; (2) we use a linear regression technique to predict the position and length of an object from image processing; (3) we have developed a novel strategy called calculating local maximum Y-coordinate object points (CLMYOP) to obtain the ground points of the object. In addition, image preprocessing is also applied to filter out the noise and successfully improve the object detection. From the experimental results, it is demonstrated that our scheme is an effective and corrective method for the detection of railway crossing risk areas.

Railway Crossing Risk Area Detection Using Linear Regression and Terrain Drop Compensation Techniques

PubMed Central

Chen, Wen-Yuan; Wang, Mei; Fu, Zhou-Xing

2014-01-01

Most railway accidents happen at railway crossings. Therefore, how to detect humans or objects present in the risk area of a railway crossing and thus prevent accidents are important tasks. In this paper, three strategies are used to detect the risk area of a railway crossing: (1) we use a terrain drop compensation (TDC) technique to solve the problem of the concavity of railway crossings; (2) we use a linear regression technique to predict the position and length of an object from image processing; (3) we have developed a novel strategy called calculating local maximum Y-coordinate object points (CLMYOP) to obtain the ground points of the object. In addition, image preprocessing is also applied to filter out the noise and successfully improve the object detection. From the experimental results, it is demonstrated that our scheme is an effective and corrective method for the detection of railway crossing risk areas. PMID:24936948

Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Hampshire Railway Makes Tracks With

Science.gov Websites

Biodiesel New Hampshire Railway Makes Tracks With Biodiesel to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Hampshire Railway Makes Tracks With Biodiesel on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Hampshire Railway Makes Tracks With Biodiesel on Twitter Bookmark

77 FR 2127 - Birmingham Terminal Railway, L.L.C.-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Birmingham Southern...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-13

... Terminal Railway, L.L.C.--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Birmingham Southern Railroad Company Birmingham Terminal Railway, L.L.C. (BHRR), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49... Exemption--Birmingham Terminal Railway, L.L.C., wherein Watco Holdings, Inc., seeks Board approval to...

78 FR 41993 - Ann Arbor Railroad, Inc.-Lease Exemption-Norfolk Southern Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... number of carloads interchanged with NSR in a given year.\\1\\ AARR states that the interchange commitment..., Canadian National Railway Company (CN), CSX Transportation, Inc., and Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway in Toledo; the Indiana and Ohio Railway and CN in Diann, Mich.; NSR in Milan, Mich.; and Great Lakes Central...

[Emergency response management near the tracks of the public railway network: special aspects of missions connected with the German national railway system].

PubMed

Krämer, P; Aul, A; Vock, B; Frank, C

2010-11-01

Emergency response management and rescue operations concerning the railway network in Germany need special attention and implementation in several ways. The emergency response concerning the German national railway network managed by Deutsche Bahn AG is subject to various rules and regulations which have to be followed precisely. Only by following these rules and procedures is the safety of all emergency staff at the scene ensured. The German national railway network (Deutsche Bahn AG) provides its own emergency response control center, which specializes in managing its response to emergencies and dispatches an emergency response manager to the scene. This person serves as the primary Deutsche Bahn AG representative at the scene and is the only person who is allowed to earth the railway electrical power lines. This article will discuss different emergency situations concerning railway accidents and the emergency medical response to them based on a near collision with a high speed train during a rescue mission close to the railway track. Injury to personnel could only be avoided by chance and luck. The dangers and risks for rescue staff are specified. Furthermore, the article details practical guidelines for rescue operations around the German national railway track system.

Exposure-response relationships for annoyance due to freight and passenger railway vibration exposure in residential environments.

PubMed

Sharp, Calum; Woodcock, James; Sica, Gennaro; Peris, Eulalia; Moorhouse, Andrew T; Waddington, David C

2014-01-01

In this work, exposure-response relationships for annoyance due to freight and passenger railway vibration exposure in residential environments are developed, so as to better understand the differences in human response to these two sources of environmental vibration. Data for this research come from a field study comprising interviews with respondents and measurements of their vibration exposure (N = 752). A logistic regression model is able to accurately classify 96% of these measured railway vibration signals as freight or passenger based on two signal properties that quantify the duration and low frequency content of each signal. Exposure-response relationships are then determined using ordinal probit modeling with fixed thresholds. The results indicate that people are able to distinguish between freight and passenger railway vibration, and that the annoyance response due to freight railway vibration is significantly higher than that due to passenger railway vibration, even for equal levels of exposure. In terms of a community tolerance level, the population studied is 15 dB (re 10(-6) m s(-2)) more tolerant to passenger railway vibration than freight railway vibration. These results have implications for the expansion of freight traffic on rail, or for policies to promote passenger railway.

Pollution level and reusability of the waste soil generated from demolition of a rural railway.

PubMed

Han, Il; Wee, Gui Nam; No, Jee Hyun; Lee, Tae Kwon

2018-09-01

Railways are typically considered polluted from years of train operation. However, the pollution level of railway in a rural area, which is less exposed to hazardous material from trains and freights, is rarely assessed. This study evaluated common railway pollutants such as heavy metals, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their chemical properties in the waste soil generated from the renovation of an old railway in rural area of Wonju, South Korea. Furthermore, lab-scale cultivation tests of peas (Pisum sativum) were performed to assess reusability of the waste soil as a soil amendment. Carbonaceous materials were found in the upper layer of the railway (0 to -40 cm) and the concentration of common railway pollutants was comparable to those of the agricultural land nearby. Specifically, total aromatic and aliphatic TPHs were below detection limit; and total PAHs < 1.0 mg kg -1 was 1000-times less than railway functional parts. Applying the carbonaceous waste soil improved the water holding capacity of soil by approximately 10% and sprouts formed on the soil with 10% waste soil composition had greater fresh weight, stem length, and root length than the control. Although this investigation was confined to a small length of the railway route, the results confirm environmental safety and the potential value of the waste generated from rural railways for the first time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The School Car: Bringing the Three R's to Newfoundland's Remote Railway Settlements (1936-1942).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noseworthy, Randy P.

During the mid-1930s, the main line of the Newfoundland (Canada) Railway stretched 547 miles from St. John's to Port aux Basques, and railway workers and their families lived along the line in small isolated settlements. The provincial department of education, the Newfoundland Railway, and the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company devised an…

76 FR 32265 - Maine Northern Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-03

... written trackage rights agreement, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd. (MMA) has agreed to grant... milepost 260 on MMA's Madawaska Subdivision) and the connection to the Canadian National Railway (CN) in St... ``* * * between MP 260 and the connection with MMA's Van Buren Subdivision at MP 264 and between the connection...

Assess the feasibility of the high-speed railway construction in China by measuring the traffic demand elastic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Nan; Cao, Yu

2017-05-01

The traffic demand elastic is proposed as a new indicator in this study to measure the feasibility of the high-speed railway construction in a more intuitive way. The Matrix Completion (MC) and Semi-Supervised Support Vector Machine (S3VM) are used to realize the measurement and prediction of this index on the basis of the satisfaction investigation on the 326 inter-city railways in china. It is demonstrated that instead of calculating the economic benefits brought by the construction of high-speed railway, this indicator can find the most urgent railways to be improved by directly evaluate the existing railway facilities from the perspective of transportation service improvement requirements.

29 CFR 1915.75 - Access to and guarding of dry docks and marine railways.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Access to and guarding of dry docks and marine railways... railways. The provisions of this section shall apply to ship repairing, shipbuilding and shipbreaking. (a... applicable requirements of § 1915.72. (g) Catwalks on stiles of marine railways shall be no less than 20...

Effect of situational, attitudinal and demographic factors on railway vibration annoyance in residential areas.

PubMed

Peris, Eulalia; Woodcock, James; Sica, Gennaro; Sharp, Calum; Moorhouse, Andrew T; Waddington, David C

2014-01-01

Railway induced vibration is an important source of annoyance among residents living in the vicinity of railways. Annoyance increases with vibration magnitude. However, these correlations between the degree of annoyance and vibration exposure are weak. This suggests that railway vibration induced annoyance is governed by more than just vibration level and therefore other factors may provide information to understand the wide variation in annoyance reactions. Factors coming into play when considering an exposure-response relationship between level of railway vibration and annoyance are presented. The factors investigated were: attitudinal, situational and demographic factors. This was achieved using data from field studies comprised of face-to-face interviews and internal vibration measurements (N = 755). It was found that annoyance scores were strongly influenced by two attitudinal factors: Concern of property damage and expectations about future levels of vibration. Type of residential area and age of the respondent were found to have an important effect on annoyance whereas visibility of the railway and time spent at home showed a significant but small influence. These results indicate that future railway vibration policies and regulations focusing on community impact need to consider additional factors for an optimal assessment of railway effects on residential environments.

Combined Effects of High-Speed Railway Noise and Ground Vibrations on Annoyance.

PubMed

Yokoshima, Shigenori; Morihara, Takashi; Sato, Tetsumi; Yano, Takashi

2017-07-27

The Shinkansen super-express railway system in Japan has greatly increased its capacity and has expanded nationwide. However, many inhabitants in areas along the railways have been disturbed by noise and ground vibration from the trains. Additionally, the Shinkansen railway emits a higher level of ground vibration than conventional railways at the same noise level. These findings imply that building vibrations affect living environments as significantly as the associated noise. Therefore, it is imperative to quantify the effects of noise and vibration exposures on each annoyance under simultaneous exposure. We performed a secondary analysis using individual datasets of exposure and community response associated with Shinkansen railway noise and vibration. The data consisted of six socio-acoustic surveys, which were conducted separately over the last 20 years in Japan. Applying a logistic regression analysis to the datasets, we confirmed the combined effects of vibration/noise exposure on noise/vibration annoyance. Moreover, we proposed a representative relationship between noise and vibration exposures, and the prevalence of each annoyance associated with the Shinkansen railway.

Subsidence Evaluation of High-Speed Railway in Shenyang Based on Time-Series Insar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yun; Wei, Lianhuan; Li, Jiayu; Liu, Shanjun; Mao, Yachun; Wu, Lixin

2018-04-01

More and more high-speed railway are under construction in China. The slow settlement along high-speed railway tracks and newly-built stations would lead to inhomogeneous deformation of local area, and the accumulation may be a threat to the safe operation of high-speed rail system. In this paper, surface deformation of the newly-built high-speed railway station as well as the railway lines in Shenyang region will be retrieved by time series InSAR analysis using multi-orbit COSMO-SkyMed images. This paper focuses on the non-uniform subsidence caused by the changing of local environment along the railway. The accuracy of the settlement results can be verified by cross validation of the results obtained from two different orbits during the same period.

Risk Evaluation of Railway Coal Transportation Network Based on Multi Level Grey Evaluation Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Wei; Wang, Xifu

2018-01-01

The railway transport mode is currently the most important way of coal transportation, and now China’s railway coal transportation network has become increasingly perfect, but there is still insufficient capacity, some lines close to saturation and other issues. In this paper, the theory and method of risk assessment, analytic hierarchy process and multi-level gray evaluation model are applied to the risk evaluation of coal railway transportation network in China. Based on the example analysis of Shanxi railway coal transportation network, to improve the internal structure and the competitiveness of the market.

[Sociomedical aspects of reduction of risk in the development of occupational diseases and industrial trauma in railway transport].

PubMed

Pankova, V B; Ivanov, V K; Kutovoĭ, V S

2001-01-01

The paper outlines the main constituents of occupational risk in railway workers, which are based on the sanitary and biomedical criteria of injury safety. Sociomedical aspects of the incidence of railway occupational diseases and injuries are discussed. A list of major occupational factors and causes that determine a high occupational risk in railway workers is given.

View westsouthwest of marine railway at reserve basin of Philadelphia ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View west-southwest of marine railway at reserve basin of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. - Naval Base Philadelphia-Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Reserve Basin & Marine Railway, League Island, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

An investigation of neighborhood-level social, economic and physical factors for railway suicide in Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Too, Lay San; Spittal, Matthew J; Bugeja, Lyndal; Milner, Allison; Stevenson, Mark; McClure, Roderick

2015-09-01

This study investigates the associations between railway suicide and neighborhood social, economic, and physical determinants using postcode-level data. It also examines whether the associations are influenced by having high concentration of high-risk individuals in a neighborhood area. Railway suicide cases from Victoria, Australia for the period of 2001-2012, their age, sex, year of death, usual residential address and suicide location were obtained from the National Coronial Information System. Univariate negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between railway suicide and neighborhood-level social, economic and physical factors. Variables which were significant in these univariate models were then assessed in a multivariate model, controlling for age and sex of the deceased and other known confounders. Findings from the multivariate analysis indicate that an elevated rate of railway suicide was strongly associated with neighborhood exposure of higher number of railway stations (IRR=1.30 95% CI=1.16-1.46). Other significant neighborhood risk factors included patronage volume (IRR=1.06, 95% CI=1.02-1.11) and train frequency (IRR=1.02, 95% CI=1.01-1.04). An increased number of video surveillance systems at railway stations and carparks was significantly associated with a modest reduction in railway suicide risk (IRR=0.93, 95% CI=0.88-0.98). These associations were independent of concentration of high-risk individuals. Railway suicide may be under-reported in Australia. Interventions to prevent railway suicide should target vulnerable individuals residing in areas characterized by high station density, patronage volume and train frequency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perspective view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, view ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Perspective view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, view looking west at south end of building - Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, Southwest First Street & Cascade Avenue, Redmond, Deschutes County, OR

Machine vision inspection of railroad track

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-10

North American Railways and the United States Department of Transportation : (US DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) require periodic inspection of railway : infrastructure to ensure the safety of railway operation. This inspection is a critic...

Stability Analysis of Railway Subgrade in Mining Area Based on Dinsar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, J.; Hu, J.; Ding, J.

2018-04-01

DInSAR technology have been applied to monitor the mining subsidence and the stability of the railway subgrade. A total of 10 Sentinel-1A images acquired from 2015/9/26 to 2016/2/23 were used in DInSAR analysis. The study mining area is about 13.4 km2. Mining have induced serious land subsidence involve a large area that causing different levels of damages to infrastructures on the land. There is an important railway near the mining area, the DInSAR technology is applied to analyse the subsidence near the railway, which can warn early the possible deformation that may occur during underground mining. The DInSAR results was verified by the field measurement. The results show that the mining did not cause subsidence of railway subgrade and did not affect the stability of railway subgrade.

A PROPOSAL FOR MAKING A RISK MAP OF ROCKFALL BY EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE TO RAILWAY TRACK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukata, Takahiro; Mori, Taiki; Shibuya, Satoru

An incident of rockfall may trigger serious damage to the safety as well as the after-the-event maintenance of railway transportation. In an attempt to minimize such damage caused by rockfall incident, the railway companies regularly in spect the concerned slopes along the railway, and take necessary measures. In the current practice, however, it is very difficult to make a full control of slopes in danger spreading over the wide area due to the limited human and financial resources. Accordingly, it is urgently needed for the railway firms to establish cost-effective as well as reliable system for the slope management. A risk map based on the impact statement of rockfall to railway track is of great use for not only enhancing the efficiency of slope inspection, but also planning the disaster prevention of railway. In this paper, a methodology for establishing a risk map by considering the impact statement to railway truck in a quantitative manner is proposed. In so doing, the rockfall movement on a slope was numerically simulated in match with each categorized type of slopes. The applicability of this proposed method for the slope management practice is examined based on a number of case histories.

Geographic distribution of suicide and railway suicide in Belgium, 2008-2013: a principal component analysis.

PubMed

Strale, Mathieu; Krysinska, Karolina; Overmeiren, Gaëtan Van; Andriessen, Karl

2017-06-01

This study investigated the geographic distribution of suicide and railway suicide in Belgium over 2008--2013 on local (i.e., district or arrondissement) level. There were differences in the regional distribution of suicide and railway suicides in Belgium over the study period. Principal component analysis identified three groups of correlations among population variables and socio-economic indicators, such as population density, unemployment, and age group distribution, on two components that helped explaining the variance of railway suicide at a local (arrondissement) level. This information is of particular importance to prevent suicides in high-risk areas on the Belgian railway network.

Detail perspective view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Detail perspective view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, view looking east at south end of building - Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, Southwest First Street & Cascade Avenue, Redmond, Deschutes County, OR

Strategic Gang Scheduling for Railroad Maintenance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-08-14

We address the railway track maintenance scheduling problem. The problem stems from the : significant percentage of the annual budget invested by the railway industry for maintaining its railway : tracks. The process requires consideration of human r...

13. Steam powered Marine Railway Headhouse and Offices, center; chain ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Steam powered Marine Railway Headhouse and Offices, center; chain is in front of electric powered Marine Railway Headhouse. - Thames Tow Boat Company, Foot of Farnsworth Street, New London, New London County, CT

Combined Effects of High-Speed Railway Noise and Ground Vibrations on Annoyance

PubMed Central

Yokoshima, Shigenori; Morihara, Takashi; Sato, Tetsumi; Yano, Takashi

2017-01-01

The Shinkansen super-express railway system in Japan has greatly increased its capacity and has expanded nationwide. However, many inhabitants in areas along the railways have been disturbed by noise and ground vibration from the trains. Additionally, the Shinkansen railway emits a higher level of ground vibration than conventional railways at the same noise level. These findings imply that building vibrations affect living environments as significantly as the associated noise. Therefore, it is imperative to quantify the effects of noise and vibration exposures on each annoyance under simultaneous exposure. We performed a secondary analysis using individual datasets of exposure and community response associated with Shinkansen railway noise and vibration. The data consisted of six socio-acoustic surveys, which were conducted separately over the last 20 years in Japan. Applying a logistic regression analysis to the datasets, we confirmed the combined effects of vibration/noise exposure on noise/vibration annoyance. Moreover, we proposed a representative relationship between noise and vibration exposures, and the prevalence of each annoyance associated with the Shinkansen railway. PMID:28749452

Partial elevation view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Partial elevation view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, view looking west at south end of east façade - Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, Southwest First Street & Cascade Avenue, Redmond, Deschutes County, OR

Partial elevation view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Partial elevation view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, view looking west at north end of east façade - Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, Southwest First Street & Cascade Avenue, Redmond, Deschutes County, OR

Partial elevation view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Partial elevation view of the Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, view looking west at center of east façade - Oregon Trunk Railway Freight Depot, Southwest First Street & Cascade Avenue, Redmond, Deschutes County, OR

4. INTERIOR OF THE HEADHOUSE FOR THE INCLINE RAILWAY SHOWING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. INTERIOR OF THE HEADHOUSE FOR THE INCLINE RAILWAY SHOWING CABLE AND DRUMS FOR LILY HOIST, 1989. - Skagit Power Development, Incline Railway, On Skagit River, 6.1 miles upstream from Newhalem, Newhalem, Whatcom County, WA

Highway-railway at-grade crossing structures : trackbed and surface pressure measurements and assessments.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-05-01

Techniques are described for installing instrumentation within highway/railway crossings - to measure vertical pressures under moving highway and railway loadings - using earth pressure cells. Also, techniques are described for installing instrumenta...

Railway project design and construction (CEE 411) course updates.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-20

Course CEE 411 "Railway Project Design and Construction" is a cornerstone of the railway : engineering education program developed by the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center : (RailTEC) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)....

[Achievements and prospects in railway transport hygiene].

PubMed

Kaptsov, V A

1997-01-01

A unique Institute of Railway Hygiene was created 70 years ago in Russia, one of the major railway countries in the world. Since then the Institute's staffers have carried out huge work on improvement of railway workers' health, prevention of their exposure to noise, unfavorable microclimate, vibration and other occupational hazards. Significant contribution into the world occupational hygiene was made by such Institute's professionals as S.F. Kazansky, P.I. Nikitin, A.M. Volkov and others.

Railway deformation detected by DInSAR over active sinkholes in the Ebro Valley evaporite karst, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galve, J. P.; Castañeda, C.; Gutiérrez, F.

2015-11-01

Subsidence was measured for the first time on railway tracks in the central sector of Ebro Valley (NE Spain) using Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) techniques. This area is affected by evaporite karst and the analysed railway corridors traverse active sinkholes that produce deformations in these infrastructures. One of the railway tracks affected by slight settlements is the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed line, a form of transport infrastructure highly vulnerable to ground deformation processes. Our analysis based on DInSAR measurements and geomorphological surveys indicates that this line shows dissolution-induced subsidence and compaction of anthropogenic deposits (infills and embankments). Significant sinkhole-related subsidence was also measured by DInSAR techniques on the Castejón-Zaragoza conventional railway line. This study demonstrates that DInSAR velocity maps, coupled with detailed geomorphological surveys, may help in the identification of the railway track sections that are affected by active subsidence.

Current and future flood risk to railway infrastructure in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubeck, Philip; Kellermann, Patric; Alfieri, Lorenzo; Feyen, Luc; Dillenardt, Lisa; Thieken, Annegret H.

2017-04-01

Railway infrastructure plays an important role in the transportation of freight and passengers across the European Union. According to Eurostat, more than four billion passenger-kilometres were travelled on national and international railway lines of the EU28 in 2014. To further strengthen transport infrastructure in Europe, the European Commission will invest another € 24.05 billion in the transnational transport network until 2020 as part of its new transport infrastructure policy (TEN-T), including railway infrastructure. Floods pose a significant risk to infrastructure elements. Damage data of recent flood events in Europe show that infrastructure losses can make up a considerable share of overall losses. For example, damage to state and municipal infrastructure in the federal state of Saxony (Germany) accounted for nearly 60% of overall losses during the large-scale event in June 2013. Especially in mountainous areas with little usable space available, roads and railway lines often follow floodplains or are located along steep and unsteady slopes. In Austria, for instance, the flood of 2013 caused € 75 million of direct damage to railway infrastructure. Despite the importance of railway infrastructure and its exposure to flooding, assessments of potential damage and risk (i.e. probability * damage) are still in its infancy compared with other sectors, such as the residential or industrial sector. Infrastructure-specific assessments at the regional scale are largely lacking. Regional assessment of potential damage to railway infrastructure has been hampered by a lack of infrastructure-specific damage models and data availability. The few available regional approaches have used damage models that assess damage to various infrastructure elements (e.g. roads, railway, airports and harbours) using one aggregated damage function and cost estimate. Moreover, infrastructure elements are often considerably underrepresented in regional land cover data, such as CORINE, due to their line shapes. To assess current and future damage and risk to railway infrastructure in Europe, we apply the damage model RAIL -' RAilway Infrastructure Loss' that was specifically developed for railway infrastructure using empirical damage data. To adequately and comprehensively capture the line-shaped features of railway infrastructure, the assessment makes use of the open-access data set of openrailway.org. Current and future flood hazard in Europe is obtained with the LISFLOOD-based pan-European flood hazard mapping procedure combined with ensemble projections of extreme streamflow for the current century based on EURO-CORDEX RCP 8.5 climate scenarios. The presentation shows first results of the combination of the hazard data and the model RAIL for Europe.

Color Vision and the Railways: Part 1. The Railway LED Lantern Test.

PubMed

Dain, Stephen J; Casolin, Armand; Long, Jennifer; Hilmi, Mohd Radzi

2015-02-01

Lantern tests and practical tests are often used in the assessment of prospective railway employees. The lantern tests rarely embody the actual colors used in signaling on the railways. Practical tests have a number of problems, most notably consistency of application and practicability. This work was carried out to provide the Railway LED Lantern Test (RLLT) as a validated method of assessing the color vision of railway workers. The RLLT, a simulated practical test using the same LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as are used in modern railway signals, was developed. It was tested on 46 color vision-normal (CVN) and 37 color vision-deficient (CVD) subjects. A modified prototype was then tested on 106 CVN subjects. All 106 CVN subjects and most mildly affected CVD subjects passed the modified lantern at 3 m. At 6 m, 1 of the 106 normal color vision subjects failed by missing a single red light. All the CVD subjects failed. The RLLT carried out at 3 m allowed mildly affected CVD subjects to pass and demonstrate adequate color vision for the less demanding railway tasks. Carried out at 6 m, it essentially reinforced normal color vision as the standard. The RLLT is a simply administered test that has a direct link to the actual visual task of the rail worker. The RLLT lantern has been adopted as an approved test in the Australian National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers in place of a practical test. It has the potential to be a valid part of any railway color vision standard.

40. Exterior view of dockage, marine railway #4, and assembly ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

40. Exterior view of dockage, marine railway #4, and assembly building. Note BBW Tug Sam on railway and BBW-Built Stardust (#1) at end of dock. - Barbour Boat Works, Tryon Palace Drive, New Bern, Craven County, NC

57. Exterior view of marine railway #4. BBW work Tun ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

57. Exterior view of marine railway #4. BBW work Tun Sam on the ways seen from Starboard Bow. Note rail/roller type (steel railway/steel wheels). - Barbour Boat Works, Tryon Palace Drive, New Bern, Craven County, NC

The Marine Railway No. 2 looking toward 1461 Wharf, Facility ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

The Marine Railway No. 2 looking toward 1461 Wharf, Facility 233 is on the right - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Marine Railway No. 2, Near intersection of Avenue G & Third Street, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

Overview of the Marine Railway No. 2 from the water's ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Overview of the Marine Railway No. 2 from the water's edge to Facility 233 - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Marine Railway No. 2, Near intersection of Avenue G & Third Street, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

Traffic and transport technology-road, railway, and water-borne transportation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-01-01

This is "Part 2: Case Studies - Chapter 9" of the book, "The Japanese Experience in Technology", and includes the following subsections: Modernization and the railway; The transportation network; Issues in railway policy; Original design and producti...

Current State of European Railway Fire Safety Research

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-06-01

This report describes the recent fire safety research and practical fire experience of the major European railways. It includes a summary of the main causes and characteristics of railway vehicle fires, general approaches to the problem, and existing...

Railway tunnels in Europe and North America

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-05-01

This list of railway tunnels (longer than 1, 000 m) was compiled by the secretariat from various national and international sources. The list is intended to serve as a reference inventory for a long railway tunnels in Europe and North America. Tunnel...

Application of lap laser welding technology on stainless steel railway vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongxiao; Wang, Chunsheng; He, Guangzhong; Li, Wei; Liu, Liguo

2016-10-01

Stainless steel railway vehicles with so many advantages, such as lightweight, antirust, low cost of maintenance and simple manufacturing process, so the production of high level stainless steel railway vehicles has become the development strategy of European, American and other developed nations. The current stainless steel railway vehicles body and structure are usually assembled by resistance spot welding process. The weak points of this process are the poor surface quality and bad airtight due to the pressure of electrodes. In this study, the partial penetration lap laser welding process was investigated to resolve the problems, by controlling the laser to stop at the second plate in the appropriate penetration. The lap laser welding joint of stainless steel railway vehicle car body with partial penetration has higher strength and surface quality than those of resistance spot welding joint. The biggest problem of lap laser welding technology is to find the balance of the strength and surface quality with different penetrations. The mechanism of overlap laser welding of stainless steel, mechanical tests, microstructure analysis, the optimization of welding parameters, analysis of fatigue performance, the design of laser welding stainless steel railway vehicles structure and the development of non-destructive testing technology were systematically studied before lap laser welding process to be applied in manufacture of railway vehicles. The results of the experiments and study show that high-quality surface state and higher fatigue strength can be achieved by the partial penetration overlap laser welding of the side panel structure, and the structure strength of the car body can be higher than the requirements of En12663, the standard of structural requirements of railway vehicles bodies. Our company has produced the stainless steel subway and high way railway vehicles by using overlap laser welding technology. The application of lap laser welding will be a big change of railway vehicles manufacturing technology.

Railway noise annoyance on the railway track in northwest slovakia.

PubMed

Pultznerova, Alzbeta; Eva, Panulinova; Kucharova, Daniela; Argalasova, Lubica

2018-01-01

This paper describes an assessment of noise caused by railway traffic in a large high-loaded railway track in Northwest Slovakia. The measurements of noise levels generated by trains passing through residential neighborhoods were taken. Noise maps were also calculated showing noise pollution generated by the train traffic. In addition, the annoyance level and sleep disturbance of residents affected by railway noise were evaluated by a validated questionnaire on a pilot sample of 107 respondents living near the important railway track. The measurements indicated that the noise levels generated by the passage of the train were extremely high especially at night, clearly exceeding the nighttime limits of equivalent sound pressure level established by the Decree of the Slovak Ministry of Health (No.549/2007) (L Aeq  = 55 dB). Measurements at one point during the night exceeded the limit values of up to 17.4 dB. The residents reported feeling affected by the noise generated by passing trains, which caused irritability, headache, poor concentration, and insomnia. In addition, 19.64% of the residents claimed that nocturnal noise pollution was the most distressing. The results of bivariate analysis showed a higher risk of annoyance especially for railway noise [OR MH  = 7.80 (4.02-15.14)] and the noise from industry [OR MH  = 3.08 (1.72-5.50)] in the exposed location. The effects of railway traffic on annoyance/sleep and psychosocial well-being were evaluated in a few studies. In accordance with our results the railway noise mostly disturbs sleep and rest of the respondents. The pilot survey showed the importance of sleep and rest disturbance by railway noise and the possibilities of getting worse health condition in the future. Noise abatement measures and strategies should, therefore, be implemented in an effective and manageable way increasing the environmental advantages of rail transport.

Examining nocturnal railway noise and aircraft noise in the field: sleep, psychomotor performance, and annoyance.

PubMed

Elmenhorst, Eva-Maria; Pennig, Sibylle; Rolny, Vinzent; Quehl, Julia; Mueller, Uwe; Maaß, Hartmut; Basner, Mathias

2012-05-01

Traffic noise is interfering during day- and nighttime causing distress and adverse physiological reactions in large parts of the population. Railway noise proved less annoying than aircraft noise in surveys which were the bases for a so called 5 dB railway bonus regarding noise protection in many European countries. The present field study investigated railway noise-induced awakenings during sleep, nighttime annoyance and the impact on performance the following day. Comparing these results with those from a field study on aircraft noise allowed for a ranking of traffic modes concerning physiological and psychological reactions. 33 participants (mean age 36.2 years ± 10.3 (SD); 22 females) living alongside railway tracks around Cologne/Bonn (Germany) were polysomnographically investigated. These data were pooled with data from a field study on aircraft noise (61 subjects) directly comparing the effects of railway and aircraft noise in one random subject effects logistic regression model. Annoyance was rated in the morning evaluating the previous night. Probability of sleep stage changes to wake/S1 from railway noise increased significantly from 6.5% at 35 dB(A) to 20.5% at 80 dB(A) LAFmax. Rise time of noise events had a significant impact on awakening probability. Nocturnal railway noise led to significantly higher awakening probabilities than aircraft noise, partly explained by the different rise times, whereas the order was inversed for annoyance. Freight train noise compared to passenger train noise proved to have the most impact on awakening probability. Nocturnal railway noise had no effect on psychomotor vigilance. Nocturnal freight train noise exposure in Germany was associated with increased awakening probabilities exceeding those for aircraft noise and contrasting the findings of many annoyance surveys and annoyance ratings of our study. During nighttime a bonus for railway noise seems not appropriate. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Railway Noise Annoyance on the Railway Track in Northwest Slovakia

PubMed Central

Pultznerova, Alzbeta; Eva, Panulinova; Kucharova, Daniela; Argalasova, Lubica

2018-01-01

Introduction: This paper describes an assessment of noise caused by railway traffic in a large high-loaded railway track in Northwest Slovakia. Materials and Methods: The measurements of noise levels generated by trains passing through residential neighborhoods were taken. Noise maps were also calculated showing noise pollution generated by the train traffic. In addition, the annoyance level and sleep disturbance of residents affected by railway noise were evaluated by a validated questionnaire on a pilot sample of 107 respondents living near the important railway track. Results: The measurements indicated that the noise levels generated by the passage of the train were extremely high especially at night, clearly exceeding the nighttime limits of equivalent sound pressure level established by the Decree of the Slovak Ministry of Health (No.549/2007) (L Aeq = 55 dB). Measurements at one point during the night exceeded the limit values of up to 17.4 dB. The residents reported feeling affected by the noise generated by passing trains, which caused irritability, headache, poor concentration, and insomnia. In addition, 19.64% of the residents claimed that nocturnal noise pollution was the most distressing. The results of bivariate analysis showed a higher risk of annoyance especially for railway noise [ORMH = 7.80 (4.02–15.14)] and the noise from industry [ORMH = 3.08 (1.72–5.50)] in the exposed location. Discussion: The effects of railway traffic on annoyance/sleep and psychosocial well-being were evaluated in a few studies. In accordance with our results the railway noise mostly disturbs sleep and rest of the respondents. Conclusion: The pilot survey showed the importance of sleep and rest disturbance by railway noise and the possibilities of getting worse health condition in the future. Noise abatement measures and strategies should, therefore, be implemented in an effective and manageable way increasing the environmental advantages of rail transport. PMID:29785974

Flow assignment model for quantitative analysis of diverting bulk freight from road to railway

PubMed Central

Liu, Chang; Wang, Jiaxi; Xiao, Jie; Liu, Siqi; Wu, Jianping; Li, Jian

2017-01-01

Since railway transport possesses the advantage of high volume and low carbon emissions, diverting some freight from road to railway will help reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with transport. This paper develops a flow assignment model for quantitative analysis of diverting truck freight to railway. First, a general network which considers road transportation, railway transportation, handling and transferring is established according to all the steps in the whole transportation process. Then general functions which embody the factors which the shippers will pay attention to when choosing mode and path are formulated. The general functions contain the congestion cost on road, the capacity constraints of railways and freight stations. Based on the general network and general cost function, a user equilibrium flow assignment model is developed to simulate the flow distribution on the general network under the condition that all shippers choose transportation mode and path independently. Since the model is nonlinear and challenging, we adopt a method that uses tangent lines to constitute envelope curve to linearize it. Finally, a numerical example is presented to test the model and show the method of making quantitative analysis of bulk freight modal shift between road and railway. PMID:28771536

The relationship between railway noise and community annoyance in Korea.

PubMed

Lim, Changwoo; Kim, Jaehwan; Hong, Jiyoung; Lee, Soogab

2006-10-01

A study of community annoyance caused by exposures to railway noise was carried out in 18 areas along railway lines to accumulate social survey data and assess the relationship between railway noise levels and annoyance responses in Korea. Railway noise levels were measured with portable sound-level meters. Social surveys were administered to people living within 50 m of noise measurement sites. A questionnaire contained demographic factors, degree of noise annoyance, interference with daily activities, and health-related symptoms. The question relating to noise annoyance was answered on an 11-point numerical scale. The randomly selected respondents, who were aged between 18 to 70 years of age, completed the questionnaire independently. In total, 726 respondents participated in social surveys. Taking into consideration the urban structure and layout of the residential areas of Korea, Japan, and Europe, one can assume that the annoyance responses caused by the railway noise in this study will be similar to those found in Japan, which are considerably more severe than those found in European countries. This study showed that one of the most important factors contributing to the difference in the annoyance responses between Korea and Europe is the distance between railways and houses.

55. Exterior view of marine railway #4. BBW work Tug ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

55. Exterior view of marine railway #4. BBW work Tug Sam on the ways seen from Port Bow. This was first railway built by BBW on site (Ca.1936). - Barbour Boat Works, Tryon Palace Drive, New Bern, Craven County, NC

4. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. - Erie Railway, Parallel French Creek Bridges, 100 feet South of Millers Station Road, 0.4 mile Northeast of State Route 408, 0.9 mile East of Cambridge Springs, Cambridge Springs, Crawford County, PA

2. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. - Erie Railway, Parallel French Creek Bridges, 100 feet South of Millers Station Road, 0.4 mile Northeast of State Route 408, 0.9 mile East of Cambridge Springs, Cambridge Springs, Crawford County, PA

3. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. - Erie Railway, Parallel French Creek Bridges, 100 feet South of Millers Station Road, 0.4 mile Northeast of State Route 408, 0.9 mile East of Cambridge Springs, Cambridge Springs, Crawford County, PA

1. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. July 1971. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE II, ERIE RAILWAY SURVEY. - Erie Railway, Parallel French Creek Bridges, 100 feet South of Millers Station Road, 0.4 mile Northeast of State Route 408, 0.9 mile East of Cambridge Springs, Cambridge Springs, Crawford County, PA

Development of a guide for prioritization of railway bridges for repair and replacement.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

The objective of this study was to develop evaluation bases for the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of existing : railway bridges. Considering the importance of bridges to the railway network, the research involved the review and : analysis o...

A Mathematical Model for Railway Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoover, D. N.

1996-01-01

We present a general method for modeling safety aspects of railway control systems. Using our modeling method, one can progressively refine an abstract railway safety model, sucessively adding layers of detail about how a real system actually operates, while maintaining a safety property that refines the original abstract safety property. This method supports a top-down approach to specification of railway control systems and to proof of a variety of safety-related properties. We demonstrate our method by proving safety of the classical block control system.

An economic evaluation of setting up physical barriers in railway stations for preventing railway injury: evidence from Hong Kong.

PubMed

Law, C K; Yip, P S F

2011-10-01

Setting physical barriers, for example platform screen doors (PSDs), has been proven to be effective in preventing falls onto railway tracks, but its cost-effectiveness is not known. For economic evaluation of public health interventions, the importance of including non-health factors has been noted despite a lack of empirical studies. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PSDs, which are installed in part of the Hong Kong railway system, for preventing railway injuries. Data on railway injuries from 1997 to 2007 were obtained from the railway operators. Poisson regression was used to examine the risk reduction. Two incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated to assess the cost-effectiveness based on (1) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) only and (2) DALYs with potential fare revenue and passengers' waiting time lost due to railway circulation collapse. The PSD installation has effectively reduced railway injuries (adjusted 5-year average percentage change: -68.8%, p<0.0001) with no apparent substitution effect to the other platforms observed. To be cost-effective, the cost of gaining a healthy life year (ICER) should not exceed three times the per capita GDP (US$74,700). The PSD installation would only be cost-effective if the loss of fare revenue and passengers' waiting time, in addition to DALY, were included (ICER: US$65,400), while the ICER based on DALY only would be US$77,900. The challenges of complexity for economic evaluation appear in many community-based health interventions. A more extensive perspective for exploring other outcome measurements and evaluation methods to reflect a fair and appropriate value of the intervention's cost-effectiveness is needed.

An overview of natural hazard impacts to railways and urban transportation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bíl, Michal; Nezval, Vojtěch; Bílová, Martina; Andrášik, Richard; Kubeček, Jan

2017-04-01

We present an overview and two case studies of natural hazard impacts on rail transportation systems in the Czech Republic. Flooding, landsliding, heavy snowfall, windstorms and glaze (black ice) are the most common natural processes which occur in this region. Whereas flooding and landsliding usually cause direct damage to the transportation infrastructure, other hazards predominantly cause indirect losses. Railway and urban tramline networks are almost fully dependent on electricity which is provided by a system of overhead lines (electric lines above the tracks). These lines are extremely susceptible to formation of glaze which blocks conduction of electric current. A December 2014 glaze event caused significant indirect losses in the largest Czech cities and railways due to the above-mentioned process. Details of this event will be provided during the presentation. Windstorms usually cause tree falls which can affect overhead lines and physically block railway tracks. Approximately 30 % of the Czech railway network is closer than 50 m from the nearest forest. This presents significant potential for transport interruption due to falling trees. Complicated legal relations among the owners of the plots of land along railways, the environment (full-grown trees and related habitat), and the railway administrator are behind many traffic interruptions due to falling trees. We have registered 2040 tree falls between 2012 and 2015 on the railway network. A model of the fallen tree hazard was created for the entire Czech railway network. Both above-mentioned case studies provide illustrative examples of the increased fragility of the modern transportation systems which fully rely on electricity. Natural processes with a low destructive power are thereby able to cause network wide service cut-offs.

Community response to railway noise: A review of social surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moehler, U.

1988-01-01

The many studies on the effects of railway noise on the neighbourhood differ greatly in their design, acoustic and sociological measurement and in their evaluation methods. As the influence of these factors on the sometimes differing results is not quantifiable, only qualitative results can be summarized and commented on. There are only a few studies with special emphasis on the effects of shunting yards, high-speed trains and urban train systems, and therefore only the results concerning free-flow railway traffic are summarized. The LAeq measured outside was shown in almost all the studies to be the most suitable for predicting general annoyance and most of the disturbance reactions compared with other acoustic data, e.g., peak level, pass-by frequency, etc. It is not possible to deduce from the studies in question a limiting value beyond which railway noise is no longer tolerable. Compared to other areas of interference, it is generally agreed that railway noise is at its most annoying in the area of communication. Sleep interference, on the other hand, was only seldomly mentioned and was not considered to be so serious. In addition to the noise level, non-acoustic factors such as attitude towards the railway, neighbourhood environment, etc., obviously considerably affect the annoyance reaction to railway noise too. The question of habituation to railway noise cannot be conclusively answered from the studies analyzed. At the same LAeq, railway noise gives rise to less annoyance than does road-traffic noise. These differences vary according to whether the reference time is day or night, the noise level range is high or low, and according to which annoyance and disturbance reaction is considered.

Influence of vertical holes on creep and shrinkage of railway prestressed concrete sleepers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dan; Ngamkhanong, Chayut; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat

2017-09-01

Railway prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties) must successfully perform two critical duties: first, to carry wheel loads from the rails to the ground; and second, to secure rail gauge for dynamic safe movements of trains. The second duty is often fouled by inappropriate design of the time-dependent behaviors due to their creep, shrinkage and elastic shortening responses of the materials. In addition, the concrete sleepers are often modified on construction sites to fit in other systems such as cables, signalling gears, drainage pipes, etc. Accordingly, this study is the world first to investigate creep and shrinkage effects on the railway prestressed concrete sleepers with vertical holes. This paper will highlight constitutive models of concrete materials within the railway sleepers under different environmental conditions over time. It will present a comparative investigation using a variety of methods to evaluate shortening effects in railway prestressed concrete sleepers. The outcome of this study will improve material design, which is very critical to the durability of railway track components.

[Railway medical hygiene and health protection system in Croatia between 1945 and 1953].

PubMed

Lajnert, Sinisa

2014-01-01

This paper describes the system of medical hygiene and health care adopted by the Croatian section of Yugoslav Railways in the aftermath of World War Two until 1953, based on archival information. In 1945, the human resources section of the Railway Administration in Zagreb included the Department of Social Welfare with offices that managed health insurance in cases of illness and accidents, workers' pension fund, and sanitary care‥ On 19 June 1947, the regional railway executive board established a medical section within the so called Secretariat and appointed Dr Marijan Derkos as its head. On 3 July 1948, central and regional healthcare offices for traffic staff were established to manage and oversee the activities of health institutions providing services for railway workers. The seat of the regional office in Zagreb was in Grgurova street. After the dismantlement of the central healthcare office in charge of railway health institutions in 1953, regional boards established new institutions, that were now self-financed.

Railway deformation detected by DInSAR over active sinkholes in the Ebro Valley evaporite karst, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galve, J. P.; Castañeda, C.; Gutiérrez, F.

2015-06-01

Previously not measured subsidence on railway tracks was detected using DInSAR displacement maps produced for the central sector of Ebro Valley (NE Spain). This area is affected by evaporite karst and the analyzed railway corridors traverse active sinkholes that produce deformations in these infrastructures. One of the railway tracks affected by slight settlements corresponds to the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed line, a transport infrastructure highly vulnerable to ground deformation processes. Our analysis based on DInSAR measurements and geomorphological surveys indicate that this line show dissolution-induced subsidence and compaction of anthropogenic deposits (infills and embankments). By using DInSAR techniques, it was also measured the significant subsidence related to the activity of sinkholes in the Castejón-Zaragoza conventional railway line. Thus, this study demonstrate that DInSAR velocity maps coupled with detailed geomorphological surveys may help in the identification of the sectors of railway tracks that may compromise the safety of travellers.

Sensitivity analysis of free vibration characteristics of an in situ railway concrete sleeper to variations of rail pad parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaewunruen, Sakdirat; Remennikov, Alex M.

2006-11-01

The vibration of in situ concrete sleepers in a railway track structure is a major factor causing cracking of prestressed concrete sleepers and excessive railway track maintenance cost. Not only does the ballast interact with the sleepers, but the rail pads also take part in affecting their free vibration characteristics. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis of free vibration behaviors of an in situ railway concrete sleeper (standard gauge sleeper), incorporating sleeper/ballast interaction, subjected to the variations of rail pad properties. Through finite element analysis, Timoshenko-beam and spring elements were used in the in situ railway concrete sleeper modeling. This model highlights the influence of rail pad parameters on the free vibration characteristics of in situ sleepers. In addition, information on the first five flexural vibration modes indicates the dynamic performance of railway track when using different types of rail pads, as it plays a vital role in the cracking deterioration of concrete sleepers.

Towards the Internet of Smart Trains: A Review on Industrial IoT-Connected Railways.

PubMed

Fraga-Lamas, Paula; Fernández-Caramés, Tiago M; Castedo, Luis

2017-06-21

Nowadays, the railway industry is in a position where it is able to exploit the opportunities created by the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and enabling communication technologies under the paradigm of Internet of Trains. This review details the evolution of communication technologies since the deployment of GSM-R, describing the main alternatives and how railway requirements, specifications and recommendations have evolved over time. The advantages of the latest generation of broadband communication systems (e.g., LTE, 5G, IEEE 802.11ad) and the emergence of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for the railway environment are also explained together with the strategic roadmap to ensure a smooth migration from GSM-R. Furthermore, this survey focuses on providing a holistic approach, identifying scenarios and architectures where railways could leverage better commercial IIoT capabilities. After reviewing the main industrial developments, short and medium-term IIoT-enabled services for smart railways are evaluated. Then, it is analyzed the latest research on predictive maintenance, smart infrastructure, advanced monitoring of assets, video surveillance systems, railway operations, Passenger and Freight Information Systems (PIS/FIS), train control systems, safety assurance, signaling systems, cyber security and energy efficiency. Overall, it can be stated that the aim of this article is to provide a detailed examination of the state-of-the-art of different technologies and services that will revolutionize the railway industry and will allow for confronting today challenges.

The effects of railway transportation on the enrichment of heavy metals in the artificial soil on railway cut slopes.

PubMed

Chen, Zhaoqiong; Wang, KeXiu; Ai, Ying Wei; Li, Wei; Gao, Hongying; Fang, Chen

2014-02-01

Heavy metal contamination in the artificial soils on the railway cut slopes may have great influence on the revegetation of the cut slopes. The purpose of this study was to assess the variation of heavy metal contamination levels with railway operation time and analyze their possible resources. A total of 100 soil samples from four cut slopes, which were affected by railway transportation for different years, were analyzed for metal pollution (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Fe). The concentrations of Cd, Pb showed increasing trend with increasing operation time of railways, while such trend was not found in Cr, Cu, Zn, Fe. According to the soil quality standard of China, Cd was considered to have considerable contamination, while Pb has less, but Cr, Cu, Zn, Fe have none. Moreover, cadmium exhibited remarkably higher levels rather than those reported in other studies. Enrichment factors and ecological index showed that Cd and Pb showed a moderate enrichment and a considerable ecological risk in most of the soil samples. The results of descriptive statistic, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and correlation analysis were totally consistent with each other. Their results revealed that Cr, Cu, Zn and Fe had common origins, and they may come from natural resources. While Cd and Pb were significantly influenced by railway transportation, leaked cargos, fuel combustion, the use of lubricate oils and sleeper impregnation oils during railway transportation may be their main resources.

Towards the Internet of Smart Trains: A Review on Industrial IoT-Connected Railways

PubMed Central

Fraga-Lamas, Paula; Fernández-Caramés, Tiago M.; Castedo, Luis

2017-01-01

Nowadays, the railway industry is in a position where it is able to exploit the opportunities created by the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and enabling communication technologies under the paradigm of Internet of Trains. This review details the evolution of communication technologies since the deployment of GSM-R, describing the main alternatives and how railway requirements, specifications and recommendations have evolved over time. The advantages of the latest generation of broadband communication systems (e.g., LTE, 5G, IEEE 802.11ad) and the emergence of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for the railway environment are also explained together with the strategic roadmap to ensure a smooth migration from GSM-R. Furthermore, this survey focuses on providing a holistic approach, identifying scenarios and architectures where railways could leverage better commercial IIoT capabilities. After reviewing the main industrial developments, short and medium-term IIoT-enabled services for smart railways are evaluated. Then, it is analyzed the latest research on predictive maintenance, smart infrastructure, advanced monitoring of assets, video surveillance systems, railway operations, Passenger and Freight Information Systems (PIS/FIS), train control systems, safety assurance, signaling systems, cyber security and energy efficiency. Overall, it can be stated that the aim of this article is to provide a detailed examination of the state-of-the-art of different technologies and services that will revolutionize the railway industry and will allow for confronting today challenges. PMID:28635672

78 FR 63564 - BNSF Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-24

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35770] BNSF Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement, Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to BNSF Railway...

75 FR 56161 - Stillwater Central Railroad, Inc.-Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

... Railroad, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption-- BNSF Railway Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement (Trackage Agreement) dated December 29, 2004, BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) granted approximately 5.5 miles of incidental overhead trackage rights to Stillwater Central Railroad, Inc. (SLWC...

77 FR 14058 - BNSF Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-08

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35601] BNSF Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement, Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has agreed to grant trackage rights to BNSF Railway Company...

76 FR 31009 - BNSF Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Yellowstone Valley Railroad, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35503] BNSF Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Yellowstone Valley Railroad, Inc. Yellowstone Valley Railroad, Inc... local and overhead trackage rights to BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) over a rail line that it leases from...

An automatic method for detecting sliding railway wheels and hot bearings using thermal imagery.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-03

One of the most important safety-related tasks in the rail industry is early detection of defective rolling : stock components. Railway wheels and wheel bearings are two components prone to damage due to : their interactions with brakes and railway t...

75 FR 80894 - Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railway Company-Lease Renewal Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-23

... & Jackson Railway Company--Lease Renewal Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railway Company (WTJR) has filed a verified notice of exemption to renew its lease of... by Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP),\\2\\ extending between milepost 0.99 at Wichita Falls, Tex...

Closing the Circle: Travelling with "The Railway Man."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Kevin

2003-01-01

Discusses Eric Lomax's autobiographical book "The Railway Man." Notes how it chronicles his boyhood obsession with train-spotting and the subsequent ways in which his life has been freaked by railway co-incidences. Describes how the author invited Eric Lomax to come and discuss this work with his students. (SG)

77 FR 67442 - Soo Line Railroad Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-09

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35687] Soo Line Railroad Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-- BNSF Railway Company BNSF Railway Company (BNSF), pursuant... rights to Soo Line Railroad Company d/b/a Canadian Pacific (Soo Line) over BNSF's line of railroad...

77 FR 17122 - Indiana Southern Railroad, LLC-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-Norfolk Southern Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-23

... Railroad, LLC--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--Norfolk Southern Railway Company Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR), pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement (Agreement), has agreed to grant overhead temporary trackage rights to Indiana Southern Railroad, LLC (ISRR) over NSR's line of railroad...

75 FR 25313 - Stillwater Central Railroad, Inc.-Trackage Rights Exemption-Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

... Railroad, Inc.--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway Company, Inc., and Hollis & Eastern Railroad Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement (Trackage Agreement) dated January 22, 1992, Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railway Co. (WTJ) granted approximately 4.6 miles of...

75 FR 3523 - Union Pacific Railroad Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-21

... Pacific Railroad Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--BNSF Railway Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement dated December 22, 2009, BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has agreed to grant temporary nonexclusive overhead trackage rights to Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) over BNSF lines...

75 FR 12808 - Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.-Discontinuance of Service and Abandonment-In Aroostook...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-17

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-1043 (Sub-No. 1)] Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.--Discontinuance of Service and Abandonment--In Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, ME On February 25, 2010, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd. (MMA) filed with the...

27. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Detail of Emergency Brake, 1917. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

27. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Detail of Emergency Brake, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-16 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

21. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Equalizing Gear Layout, 1917. Photographic ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

21. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Equalizing Gear Layout, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-4 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

19. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Cradle and Track Plan, 1917. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

19. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Cradle and Track Plan, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-1 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

24. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Wrought Iron Details, 1917. Photographic ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

24. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Wrought Iron Details, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-8A - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

20. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Design of Cradle, 1917. Photographic ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

20. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Design of Cradle, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-2 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

23. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Details of Hauling Machinery, 1917. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

23. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Details of Hauling Machinery, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-7 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

25. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Proposed Road Over Chains, 1917. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

25. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Proposed Road Over Chains, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-9 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

22. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Track Plan, 1917. Photographic copy ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

22. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Track Plan, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-5 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

76 FR 73776 - Wiregrass Central Railway, LLC-Abandonment Exemption-in Coffee County, AL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-29

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 1077X] Wiregrass Central Railway, LLC--Abandonment Exemption--in Coffee County, AL On November 9, 2011, Wiregrass Central Railway... railroad extending between milepost 820.0 and milepost 821.2 in Enterprise, in Coffee County, Ala. (the...

[Comparison of railway employees and college students as evaluator of vibration discomfort].

PubMed

Suzuki, Hiroaki

2002-06-01

Typically, vibration discomfort of railway cars was studied with railway employees as evaluator, because of their availability and interest, as well as various study requirements. However, it has not been shown that employees are appropriate for the task. In this study, railway employees were compared with college students in order to find how their ratings compared with those by ordinary passengers. An experiment was conducted in a running train, and 41 persons participated; about a half were railway employees and the other college students who were invited as non-specialists. Their task was to rate vibration discomfort on a scale of 1 to 4, continuously at an interval of 5 seconds. Results indicated that employee ratings showed smaller individual differences and in general were more cautious than the student ratings.

The effects of the Qinghai-Tibet railway on heavy metals enrichment in soils.

PubMed

Zhang, Hua; Wang, Zhaofeng; Zhang, Yili; Hu, Zhongjun

2012-11-15

The impact of land transportation on local soil environments is an important topic in environmental and ecological sciences. The rapid development of transportation infrastructure lends increasing importance to studies that identify and evaluate related heavy metal pollution. This paper discusses the effects of railways on soil heavy metal enrichments in the Tibetan plateau. At a representative area along the Haergai-Delingha railway, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, chromium, nickel, cobalt, and vanadium were measured in 127 topsoil samples (0-10 cm depth). The results indicate that railway transport has a significant effect on the concentration of Zn, Cd and Pb in the soil, with levels of enrichment ranging from no pollution to significant pollution. The affected area was within 20 m of the railway. The soil at Delingha was the most contaminated soil with heavy metals, and the enrichment level of Cd in the soil was the highest along the Qinghai-Tibet railway. The horizontal distributions of the three heavy metals present different characteristics at different sampling sites, which may be due to discrepancies in terrain and vegetation types. Alkaline soils and guardrails along the railway might reduce the effect of soil pollution on local people and animals. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A New Filtering and Smoothing Algorithm for Railway Track Surveying Based on Landmark and IMU/Odometer

PubMed Central

Jiang, Qingan; Wu, Wenqi; Jiang, Mingming; Li, Yun

2017-01-01

High-accuracy railway track surveying is essential for railway construction and maintenance. The traditional approaches based on total station equipment are not efficient enough since high precision surveying frequently needs static measurements. This paper proposes a new filtering and smoothing algorithm based on the IMU/odometer and landmarks integration for the railway track surveying. In order to overcome the difficulty of estimating too many error parameters with too few landmark observations, a new model with completely observable error states is established by combining error terms of the system. Based on covariance analysis, the analytical relationship between the railway track surveying accuracy requirements and equivalent gyro drifts including bias instability and random walk noise are established. Experiment results show that the accuracy of the new filtering and smoothing algorithm for railway track surveying can reach 1 mm (1σ) when using a Ring Laser Gyroscope (RLG)-based Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with gyro bias instability of 0.03°/h and random walk noise of 0.005°/h while control points of the track control network (CPIII) position observations are provided by the optical total station in about every 60 m interval. The proposed approach can satisfy at the same time the demands of high accuracy and work efficiency for railway track surveying. PMID:28629191

Annoyance evaluation due to overall railway noise and vibration in Pisa urban areas.

PubMed

Licitra, Gaetano; Fredianelli, Luca; Petri, Davide; Vigotti, Maria Angela

2016-10-15

The noise impact of the whole railway infrastructure was characterized in the urban environment of Pisa, Italy. The ordinary train transits were considered, nevertheless it was given particular attention also to the noise sources referable to railway operations like manoeuvring, loading and unloading, truck movements, braking, squeals and whistles. These kinds of noise are usually neglected in the noise modelling and are hereafter called "unconventional noises". The characteristics of the railway infrastructure and the receptors' distribution guided the measuring point selection and led to a survey with a sample of 119 people ranging between the ages of 35 and 70 and residents in the area for at least 5 years. The differences between the ordinary noise modelling and the measured noise, including the unconventional ones, were investigated. Dose-effect relationships for %HA and measured or simulated railways noise were calculated and compared with others in literature. The last paragraph of this paper is dedicated to the exposure to railway vibration and its relation with noise exposure. The results show the limitations of traditional noise mapping for railway epidemiological studies based exclusively on ordinary transits and confirm the role of vibrations as enhancing factor for disturbance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A rough set-based measurement model study on high-speed railway safety operation.

PubMed

Hu, Qizhou; Tan, Minjia; Lu, Huapu; Zhu, Yun

2018-01-01

Aiming to solve the safety problems of high-speed railway operation and management, one new method is urgently needed to construct on the basis of the rough set theory and the uncertainty measurement theory. The method should carefully consider every factor of high-speed railway operation that realizes the measurement indexes of its safety operation. After analyzing the factors that influence high-speed railway safety operation in detail, a rough measurement model is finally constructed to describe the operation process. Based on the above considerations, this paper redistricts the safety influence factors of high-speed railway operation as 16 measurement indexes which include staff index, vehicle index, equipment index and environment. And the paper also provides another reasonable and effective theoretical method to solve the safety problems of multiple attribute measurement in high-speed railway operation. As while as analyzing the operation data of 10 pivotal railway lines in China, this paper respectively uses the rough set-based measurement model and value function model (one model for calculating the safety value) for calculating the operation safety value. The calculation result shows that the curve of safety value with the proposed method has smaller error and greater stability than the value function method's, which verifies the feasibility and effectiveness.

Annoyance and activity disturbance induced by high-speed railway and conventional railway noise: a contrastive case study.

PubMed

Di, Guo-Qing; Lin, Qi-Li; Li, Zheng-Guang; Kang, Jian

2014-03-07

High-speed railway (HR, Electrified railway with service speed above 200 km/h.) noise and conventional railway (CR, Electrified railway with service speed under 200 km/h.) noise are different in both time and frequency domain. There is an urgent need to study the influence of HR noise and consequently, develop appropriate noise evaluation index and limits for the total railway noise including HR and CR noise. Based on binaural recording of HR and CR noises in a approximate semi-free field, noise annoyance and activity disturbance induced by maximal train pass-by events in China were investigated through laboratory subjective evaluation. 80 students within recruited 102 students, 40 males and 40 females, 23.9 ± 2.1 years old, were finally selected as the subjects. After receiving noise stimulus via headphone of a binaural audio playback system, subjects were asked to express the annoyance or activity disturbance due to railway noise at a 0-100 numerical scale. The results show that with the same annoyance rating (A) or activity disturbance rating (D), the A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq) of CR noise is approximately 7 dB higher than that of HR noise. Linear regression analysis between some acoustical parameters and A (or D) suggests that the coefficient of determination (R2) is higher with the instantaneous fast A-weighted sound pressure level (LAFmax) than that with LAeq. A combined acoustical parameter, LHC = 1.74LAFmax + 0.008LAFmax(Lp-LAeq), where Lp is the sound pressure level, was derived consequently, which could better evaluate the total railway noise, including HR and CR noise. More importantly, with a given LHC, the noise annoyance of HR and CR noise is the same. Among various acoustical parameters including LHC and LAeq, A and D have the highest correlation with LHC. LHC has been proved to be an appropriate index to evaluate the total railway noise, including both HR and CR. However, it should be pointed out that this study provides suggestive evidence, rather than a final proof. Further study is expected to elucidate conclusions above by additional measurements.

76 FR 12224 - Autauga Northern Railroad, L.L.C.-Lease and Operation Exemption-Norfolk Southern Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-04

... Railroad, L.L.C.--Lease and Operation Exemption--Norfolk Southern Railway Company Autauga Northern Railroad... acquire by lease from Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR), and operate approximately 43.62 miles of... Holdings, Inc.--Continuance in Control Exemption-- Autauga Northern Railroad, L.L.C., in which Watco...

78 FR 23634 - Union Pacific Railroad Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-19

... Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement dated December 18, 2012, Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E) \\1\\ has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) over...

76 FR 22746 - Conecuh Valley Railway, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Conecuh Valley Railroad Co., Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Conecuh Valley Railroad Co., Inc. Conecuh Valley Railway, LLC (CVR), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Conecuh Valley Railroad Co., Inc. (COEH), and to operate [[Page 22747

Rail-lex Slovenia--A Modern Railway Dictionary (Joint Venture Case Study).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakopin, Primoz

Rail-lex Slovenia is a project to develop a dictionary of railway terminology in the Slovenian language, part of a larger undertaking of the International Union of Railways to develop a modern, multilingual communication infrastructure. Participating organizations represent 22 European languages. Two partners in the Rail-lex Slovenia venture are…

76 FR 22746 - Wiregrass Central Railway, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Wiregrass Central Railroad...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Wiregrass Central Railroad Company, Inc. Wiregrass Central Railway, LLC (WCR), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Wiregrass Central Railroad Company, Inc. (WGCR), and to operate approximately 21.2 miles of...

76 FR 22745 - Three Notch Railway, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Three Notch Railroad Co., Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption-- Three Notch Railroad Co., Inc. Three Notch Railway... from Three Notch Railroad Co., Inc. (TNHR) and to operate approximately 34 miles of rail line \\1... assigned TNHR's agreement with Andalusia & Conecuh Railroad Company, which was assigned to TNHR by the...

77 FR 21835 - Savage, Bingham & Garfield Railroad Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Elgin, Joliet and Eastern...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-11

... & Garfield Railroad Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement dated March 5, 2012, Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company... Subdivision in Whiting, Ind. \\1\\ Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company is an indirect subsidiary of...

78 FR 64597 - Youngstown & Southeastern Railway Company-Operation Exemption-Mule Sidetracks, L.L.C.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-29

... & Southeastern Railway Company--Operation Exemption-- Mule Sidetracks, L.L.C. Youngstown & Southeastern Railway... agent of, and in the name of, Mule Sidetracks, L.L.C. (MSLLC), three miles of contiguous track segments... verified notice of exemption filed in Mule Sidetracks, L.L.C.--Acquisition Exemption--Columbiana County...

77 FR 55898 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Abandonment Exemption-in Beaufort County, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-11

...)] Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Beaufort County, NC Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F-Exempt...) underlying the line. It seeks this abandonment at the behest of the ROW owner, PCS Phosphate, which wants to...

76 FR 35947 - Maine Northern Railway Company-Modified Rail Certificate-in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, ME

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-20

... Railway Company--Modified Rail Certificate--in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, ME On June 7, 2011, Maine..., Me. The Line was the subject of an abandonment application granted by the Board in Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.--Discontinuance of Service and Abandonment--in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, Me...

76 FR 5648 - Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.-Modified Rail Certificate-in Aroostook and Penobscot...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-01

... Penobscot Counties, Me.; Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.--Discontinuance of Service and Abandonment--in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, ME. Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd. (MMA) has requested..., approximately 233 miles of rail line in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, Me. This line was the subject of the...

76 FR 31009 - Iowa Northern Railway Company-Operation Exemption-North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... Railway Company--Operation Exemption--North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC Iowa Northern Railway Company...) Docket No. FD 35507, North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC--Acquisition Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company, in which North Central Iowa Rail Corridor, LLC seeks to acquire from Union Pacific Railroad...

The Ginghai-Tibet railway and Tibet tourism: travelers' perspectives

Treesearch

Ming Ming Su; Geoffrey Wall

2009-01-01

The Qinghai-Tibet railway opened in July 2006 and boosted Tibetan tourism markedly by increasing the accessibility and affordability of travel from China to Tibet. This study evaluates the railway's impacts on tourists' travel decisions and experiences in Tibet. The relative importance of the train journey in comparison with the destination experience in...

78 FR 2483 - Ohio Terminal Railway Company-Operation Exemption-Hannibal Real Estate, LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-11

... Railway Company--Operation Exemption--Hannibal Real Estate, LLC Ohio Terminal Railway Company (OTRC),\\1\\ a... near Hannibal, in Monroe County, Ohio (the Line), pursuant to an operating agreement with Hannibal Real Estate, LLC (Hannibal). \\1\\ OTRC is a wholly owned, corporate subsidiary of Carload Express, Inc. (CEI...

16. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, May ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

16. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, May 29, 1919. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #5049, 5/29/19 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

15. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, May ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

15. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, May 28, 1919. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #5046, 5/29/19 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

26. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Layout of Hauling Machinery, Building ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

26. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Layout of Hauling Machinery, Building 24, 1917. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yark. BOSTS 13439, #551-15 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

11. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, July ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, July 5, 1918. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #3988, 7/5/18 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

12. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, September ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

12. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, September 8, 1918. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #4229, 9/6/18 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

13. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, March ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, March 9, 1919. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #4801, 3/9/19 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

28. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Section showing bilge and keel ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

28. Historic drawing, Marine Railway. Section showing bilge and keel blocks, 1919. Photographic copy of original. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 13439, #551-20 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

14. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, May ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. Historic view, Marine Railway construction. View to southeast, May 5, 1919. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #4930, 5/5/19 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

78 FR 71037 - New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railway Company, Inc.-Lease Exemption Containing Interchange Commitment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-27

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35777] New Orleans & Gulf... Company New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railway Company, Inc. (NOGC), a Class III rail carrier, has filed a... to a third-party railroad, BNSF Railway Company and the New Orleans Public Belt are located in very...

78 FR 55214 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Lake Washington Ship Canal, Seattle, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-10

... Operation Regulation; Lake Washington Ship Canal, Seattle, WA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of... operating schedule that governs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Bridge across the Lake... Railway has requested that the draw of the BNSF Railway Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile...

75 FR 63533 - Gulf & Ohio Railways Holding Co., Inc., H. Peter Claussen and Linda C. Claussen-Continuance in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-15

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35414] Gulf & Ohio Railways Holding Co., Inc., H. Peter Claussen and Linda C. Claussen--Continuance in Control Exemption--Lancaster & Chester Railroad, LLC Gulf & Ohio Railways Holding Co., Inc. (G&O), H. Peter Claussen and Linda...

Research of a Tram Headstock from Composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malkovsky, Zdenek; Kovandova, Hedvika

2014-08-01

The requirements for crashworthiness of railway vehicles are defined by the Railroad crashworthiness standard EN 15227. This standard is based on the findings of the characteristics of steel structures of front parts of railway vehicles. In the Czech Republic an extensive research was carried out within the project TIP FR-TI1/113 on application of composite sandwich structure elements in the design of the front cabins of a railway vehicle. The aim of the research work was to determine real possibilities of the composite sandwich structures for use in the construction of railway vehicles while considering the validity of the above-mentioned standard.

Development of a Comprehensive Programme to Prevent and Reduce the Negative Impact of Railway Fatalities, Injuries and Close Calls on Railway Employees.

PubMed

Bardon, Cécile; Mishara, Brian L

2015-09-01

This article presents a strategy to prevent trauma, support and care for railway personnel who experience critical incidents (CI) on the job, usually fatalities by accident or suicide. We reviewed all publications on CI management, support and care practices in the railway industry, as well as practices in place in Canada (unpublished protocols). Semi structured interviews were conducted with 40 train engineers and conductors involved in CIs and the content was coded and analysed quantitatively. Employees' satisfaction with the help received after the incident varies according to the behaviour of the local manager, company officers and police, the level of compliance with existing company protocols to help them, the presence of unmet expectations for support and care, their perceived competency of clinicians they consulted and the level of trust toward their employers. On the basis of the interview results, the review of existing railway practices and discussions with railway stakeholders, a model protocol was developed for a comprehensive workplace prevention, support and care protocol to reduce the negative impact of railway critical incidents on employees. This protocol includes preventive actions before traumatic events occur, immediate responses at the site of incident, interventions within the first few days after the incident and longer term support and interventions provided by the company and by outsourced experts.

75 FR 12329 - Union Pacific Railroad Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-15

.... 13)] Union Pacific Railroad Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--BNSF Railway Company AGENCY... 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7). The notice covered the agreement by BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) to extend to... railroad extending from BNSF milepost 579.3 near Mill Creek, OK, to BNSF milepost 631.1 near Joe Junction...

76 FR 27173 - Carolina Coastal Railway, Inc.-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Rocky Mount & Western Railroad...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-10

... Railway, Inc.--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Rocky Mount & Western Railroad Co., Inc. d/b/a Nash County Railroad Carolina Coastal Railway, Inc. (CLNA), a Class III rail carrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41 to acquire from Rocky Mount & Western Railroad Co., Inc. d/b/a...

20 CFR 204.7 - Employment relation-service to a local lodge or division of a railway labor organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... or division of a railway labor organization. 204.7 Section 204.7 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT EMPLOYMENT RELATION § 204.7 Employment relation—service to a local lodge or division of a railway labor organization. Service by an individual to...

77 FR 20882 - Manning Grain Company; Acquisition and Operation Exemption; Fillmore Western Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-06

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35612] Manning Grain Company; Acquisition and Operation Exemption; Fillmore Western Railway Company Manning Grain Company (MGC), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Fillmore Western Railway Company (FWRC) and operate a...

75 FR 32839 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-The West Tennessee Railroad, LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-09

... (Corinth), Miss.\\2\\ \\1\\ WTNN is a New Jersey limited liability company and NSR is a wholly owned subsidiary... Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--The West Tennessee Railroad, LLC Pursuant to a written... rights to Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) \\1\\ over approximately 118.9 miles of rail line...

78 FR 79726 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Abandonment Exemption-in Gaston County, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-31

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 339X)] Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Gaston County, NC Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F-Exempt Abandonments to abandon approximately 0.5 miles of rail...

17. Historic view, Test of Marine Railway, USCC Ossippee. View ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. Historic view, Test of Marine Railway, USCC Ossippee. View to southeast, June 2, 1919. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #5054, 6/7/19 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

76 FR 31010 - Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.-Trackage Rights Exemption-Maine Northern Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... rights to Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd. (MMA) over approximately 151 miles of rail line owned... Madawaska, ME (Subject Trackage).\\1\\ MMA states that, as of January 14, 2011, it sold the Subject Trackage... operate these lines. \\1\\ The Subject Trackage was formerly part of the Madawaska Subdivision of MMA...

77 FR 58218 - BNSF Railway Company-Abandonment Exemption-in McKinley County, N.M.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-19

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 6 (Sub-No. 485X)] BNSF Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in McKinley County, N.M. BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has filed a... rail line located between milepost 14.50 and milepost 19.61, north of Defiance, in McKinley County, N.M...

75 FR 74768 - Madison Terminal Railway, LLC-Lease and Operation Exemption-Line of Railroad in Dane County, WI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-01

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35433] Madison Terminal Railway, LLC--Lease and Operation Exemption-- Line of Railroad in Dane County, WI Madison Terminal Railway... Industrial Lead at milepost 78.02 in Madison, WI, and is located entirely within the property of ProBuild...

Living alongside railway tracks: Long-term effects of nocturnal noise on sleep and cardiovascular reactivity as a function of age.

PubMed

Tassi, Patricia; Rohmer, Odile; Schimchowitsch, Sarah; Eschenlauer, Arnaud; Bonnefond, Anne; Margiocchi, Florence; Poisson, Franck; Muzet, Alain

2010-10-01

Very few studies were devoted to permanent effects of nocturnal railway noise on sleep and cardiovascular reactivity. We investigated the effects of nocturnal railway noise on sleep and cardiovascular response in young and middle-aged adults living for many years either near a railway track or in a quiet area. Forty subjects (50% males) divided into two age groups (juniors: 26.2+/-3.6 and seniors: 56.2+/-4.2) participated in this experiment. Half of them lived near a railway track (RW group: 2.6 to 19 years) and the other half in a quiet environment (QE group: 8.1 to 14.2 years). After an adaptation night, all subjects underwent two nights in the laboratory: one control night and one noisy night (30 by-passes of a freight train). Sleep and cardiovascular modifications were assessed in response to noise. Sleep fragmentation indices were lower in RW subjects compared to QE whatever their age. In response to noise, there was a higher cardiovascular response rate to noise in RW juniors and a lower cardiovascular response rate in RW seniors compared to their age-paired QE counterparts. In conclusion, permanent exposure to nocturnal railway noise leads to decreased sleep fragmentation and to cardiovascular habituation. It is suggested that during the initial period experienced by residents living near railway tracks, nocturnal railway noise could induce a sensitization process on the autonomic response to noise reflecting a startle/defense reflex due to its functional significance, which progressively turns to habituation in the long-term if no adverse effect is experienced. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of railway noise on sleep medication intake: results from the ALPNAP-study.

PubMed

Lercher, P; Brink, M; Rudisser, J; Van Renterghem, T; Botteldooren, D; Baulac, M; Defrance, J

2010-01-01

In the 1980s/90s, a number of socio-acoustic surveys and laboratory studies on railway noise effects have observed less reported disturbance/interference with sleep at the same exposure level compared with other modes of transportation. This lower grade of disturbance has received the label "railway bonus", was implemented in noise legislation in a number of European countries and was applied in planning and environmental impact assessments. However, majority of the studies investigating physiological outcomes did not find the bespoke difference. In a telephone survey (N=1643) we investigated the relationship between railway noise and sleep medication intake and the impact of railway noise events on motility parameters during night was assessed with contact-free high resolution actimetry devices. Multiple logistic regression analysis with cubic splines was applied to assess the probability of sleep medication use based on railway sound level and nine covariates. The non-linear exposure-response curve showed a statistically significant leveling off around 60 dB (A), Lden. Age, health status and trauma history were the most important covariates. The results were supported also by a similar analysis based on the indicator "night time noise annoyance". No railway bonus could be observed above 55 dB(A), Lden. In the actimetry study, the slope of rise of train noise events proved to be almost as important a predictor for motility reactions as was the maximum sound pressure level - an observation which confirms similar findings from laboratory experiments and field studies on aircraft noise and sleep disturbance. Legislation using a railway bonus will underestimate the noise impact by about 10 dB (A), Lden under the conditions comparable with those in the survey study. The choice of the noise calculation method may influence the threshold for guideline setting.

Effects of heavy metal pollution on enzyme activities in railway cut slope soils.

PubMed

Meng, Xiaoyi; Ai, Yingwei; Li, Ruirui; Zhang, Wenjuan

2018-03-07

Railway transportation is an important transportation mode. However, railway transportation causes heavy metal pollution in surrounding soils. Heavy metal pollution has a serious negative impact on the natural environment, including a decrease of enzyme activities in soil and degradation of sensitive ecosystems. Some studies investigated the heavy metal pollution at railway stations or certain transportation hubs. However, the pollution accumulated in artificial cut slope soil all along the rails is still questioned. The interest on non-point source pollution from railways is increasing in an effort to protect the soil quality along the line. In this study, we studied spatial distributions of heavy metals and five enzyme activities, i.e., urease (UA), saccharase (SAC), protease (PRO), catalase (CAT), and polyphenol oxidase (POA) in the soil, and the correlation among them beside three different railways in Sichuan Province, China, as well. Soil samples were respectively collected from 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 m away from the rails (depth of 0-8 cm). Results showed that Mn, Cd, Cu, and Zn were influenced by railway transportation in different degrees while Pb was not. Heavy metal pollution was due to the abrasion of the gravel bed as well as the tracks and freight transportation which caused more heavy metal pollution than passenger transportation. Enzymatic activities were significantly negatively correlated with heavy metals in soils, especially Zn and Cu. Finally, it is proposed that combined use of PRO and POA activities could be an indicator of the heavy metal pollution in cut slope soils. The protective measures aimed at heavy metal pollution caused by railway transportation in cut slope soils are urgent.

A preliminary survey on mode choice and its effect in users’ satisfaction on their journey to the railway station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Nur Fahriza Mohd; Sadullah, Ahmad Farhan Mohd; Zulkiple, Adnan

2018-04-01

This paper focuses on two lines of investigation with regard to mode choice to Klang Komuter Station. Firstly, the profile of the access modes on journeys to the railway station is analysed. Secondly, the relationship of users’ mode choice towards overall perception on traveling from home to the railway station is estimated. The data collection was conducted via Revealed Preferences / Stated Preferences (RP/SP) Survey. Meanwhile, the analysis that was implemented in this study was correspondence analysis. This paper discussed more on journey purposes and the effects of distances from home to the railway, users’ trip purposes and travel time between car and bus that was found to have an important effect on the users’ mode choice and their satisfaction on their journey to the railway station. The results show that users were more satisfied to reach the station by car instead of the bus.

Modeling track access charge to enhance railway industry performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berawi, Mohammed Ali; Miraj, Perdana; Berawi, Abdur Rohim Boy; Susantono, Bambang; Leviakangas, Pekka; Radiansyah, Hendra

2017-11-01

Indonesia attempts to improve nation's competitiveness by increasing the quality and the availability of railway network. However, the infrastructure improperly managed by the operator in terms of the technical issue. One of the reasons for this problem is an unbalanced value of infrastructure charge. In 2000's track access charge and infrastructure maintenance and operation for Indonesia railways are equal and despite current formula of the infrastructure charge, issues of transparency and accountability still in question. This research aims to produce an alternative scheme of track access charge by considering marginal cost plus markup (MC+) approach. The research combines qualitative and quantitative method through an in-depth interview and financial analysis. The result will generate alternative formula of infrastructure charge in Indonesia's railway industry. The simulation also conducted to estimate track access charge for the operator and to forecast government support in terms of subsidy. The result is expected to enhance railway industry performance and competitiveness.

An evaluation method of power quality about electrified railways connected to power grid based on PSCAD/EMTDC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Weibin; Ouyang, Sen; Huang, Xiang; Su, Weijian

2017-05-01

The existing modeling process of power quality about electrified railways connected to power grid is complicated and the simulation scene is incomplete, so this paper puts forward a novel evaluation method of power quality based on PSCAD/ETMDC. Firstly, a model of power quality about electrified railways connected to power grid is established, which is based on testing report or measured data. The equivalent model of electrified locomotive contains power characteristic and harmonic characteristic, which are substituted by load and harmonic source. Secondly, in order to make evaluation more complete, an analysis scheme has been put forward. The scheme uses a combination of three-dimensions of electrified locomotive, which contains types, working conditions and quantity. At last, Shenmao Railway is taken as example to evaluate the power quality at different scenes, and the result shows electrified railways connected to power grid have significant effect on power quality.

77 FR 49863 - Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC and Permian Basin Railways-Continuance in Control Exemption-Santa Cruz...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

... interconnection with Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway Company at milepost 20.4 in Santa Cruz, Cal., and an... Railroad, located in Colorado; (4) Saratoga & North Creek Railway, located in New York; (5) [[Page 49864... in a separate decision. The transaction may be consummated on or after August 31, 2012 (the effective...

77 FR 38713 - V & S Railway, LLC-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Pueblo, Crowley and Kiowa Counties, CO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... exemption is void ab initio. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at www.stb.dot.gov... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 603 (Sub-No. 2X)] V & S Railway, LLC--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Pueblo, Crowley and Kiowa Counties, CO V & S Railway...

18. Historic view, Test of Marine Railway, USS Grebe and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

18. Historic view, Test of Marine Railway, USS Grebe and USS Acushnet. View to soutwest, June 10, 1919. Photographic copy of photo. Boston National Historical Park Archives, Charlestown Navy Yard. BOSTS 8962, USN #5080, 6/10/19 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Marine Railway, Between Piers 2 & 3, on Charlestown Waterfront at west end of Navy Yard, Boston, Suffolk County, MA

Diagnosis diagrams for passing signals on an automatic block signaling railway section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spunei, E.; Piroi, I.; Chioncel, C. P.; Piroi, F.

2018-01-01

This work presents a diagnosis method for railway traffic security installations. More specifically, the authors present a series of diagnosis charts for passing signals on a railway block equipped with an automatic block signaling installation. These charts are based on the exploitation electric schemes, and are subsequently used to develop a diagnosis software package. The thus developed software package contributes substantially to a reduction of failure detection and remedy for these types of installation faults. The use of the software package eliminates making wrong decisions in the fault detection process, decisions that may result in longer remedy times and, sometimes, to railway traffic events.

Noise-induced hearing loss in a longitudinal study of Norwegian railway workers

PubMed Central

Lie, Arve; Skogstad, Marit; Johnsen, Torstein Seip; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to analyse longitudinal data to assess the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in Norwegian railway workers. Design Longitudinal. Setting A major Norwegian railway company. Methods We examined data from the first and last audiograms for the period 1991–2014, from 9640 railway workers with varying occupational noise exposure and with an average observation period of 10 years. The course of hearing acuity in seven groups of railway workers (train drivers, conductors, bus drivers, traffic controllers, train maintenance workers, track maintenance workers and others) were compared with each other and with ISO standards (ISO 1999). Results The change in hearing threshold during the observation period was 2–3 dB in the 0.5–4 kHz range and 6–7 dB in the 3–6 kHz range adjusted for age and sex, for all occupational groups, which is slightly less than expected (8 dB) according to ISO 1999. Conclusions The risk of NIHL in Norwegian railway workers during the period 1991–2014 has been negligible. PMID:27591022

Railway clearance intrusion detection method with binocular stereo vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xingfang; Guo, Baoqing; Wei, Wei

2018-03-01

In the stage of railway construction and operation, objects intruding railway clearance greatly threaten the safety of railway operation. Real-time intrusion detection is of great importance. For the shortcomings of depth insensitive and shadow interference of single image method, an intrusion detection method with binocular stereo vision is proposed to reconstruct the 3D scene for locating the objects and judging clearance intrusion. The binocular cameras are calibrated with Zhang Zhengyou's method. In order to improve the 3D reconstruction speed, a suspicious region is firstly determined by background difference method of a single camera's image sequences. The image rectification, stereo matching and 3D reconstruction process are only executed when there is a suspicious region. A transformation matrix from Camera Coordinate System(CCS) to Track Coordinate System(TCS) is computed with gauge constant and used to transfer the 3D point clouds into the TCS, then the 3D point clouds are used to calculate the object position and intrusion in TCS. The experiments in railway scene show that the position precision is better than 10mm. It is an effective way for clearance intrusion detection and can satisfy the requirement of railway application.

An overview: modern techniques for railway vehicle on-board health monitoring systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunsheng; Luo, Shihui; Cole, Colin; Spiryagin, Maksym

2017-07-01

Health monitoring systems with low-cost sensor networks and smart algorithms are always needed in both passenger trains and heavy haul trains due to the increasing need for reliability and safety in the railway industry. This paper focuses on an overview of existing approaches applied for railway vehicle on-board health monitoring systems. The approaches applied in the data measurement systems and the data analysis systems in railway on-board health monitoring systems are presented in this paper, including methodologies, theories and applications. The pros and cons of the various approaches are analysed to determine appropriate benchmarks for an effective and efficient railway vehicle on-board health monitoring system. According to this review, inertial sensors are the most popular due to their advantages of low cost, robustness and low power consumption. Linearisation methods are required for the model-based methods which would inevitably introduce error to the estimation results, and it is time-consuming to include all possible conditions in the pre-built database required for signal-based methods. Based on this review, future development trends in the design of new low-cost health monitoring systems for railway vehicles are discussed.

“Sapsan”-carriages defrosting station of Nizhniy Novgorod railway service enterprise and its surface waste water purification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strelkov, Alexander; Teplykh, Svetlana; Gorshkalev, Pavel; Bystranova, Anastasia

2017-10-01

Surface water disposal is one of the most relevant problems for Nizhniy Novgorod railway service enterprises. Waste water must be quickly removed with special drainage devices and water drainage facilities (culverts, slope drains, pipes, ditches, etc.). During “Sapsan”-carriages defrosting watse water is aggregated on railroad tracks. It leads to track bed structure sagging, roadbed washaway and damages to point switches. In this paper the authors describe a concrete system of waste water disposal from railway service enterprises. This system is realized through culverts readjusted at the foot of ballast section. Thereafter, the collected water is pumped into a water collector and to local sewage waste-disposal plants. For railway stations with three or more tracks surface runoff diversion scheme depends on topography, railway tracks types, flow discharge and is compiled individually for each object. This paper examines “Sapsan”-carriages defrosting station of Nizhniy Novgorod railway service enterprise. It presents a technology scheme and equipment consisting of Sand catcher LOS-P, Oil catcher LOS-N, pressure-tight flotation unit; drain feed pump; solution-consuming tank of the coagulant, the solution-consuming tank of flocculant. The proposed technology has been introduced into the project practice.

Noise-induced annoyance from transportation noise: short-term responses to a single noise source in a laboratory.

PubMed

Kim, Jaehwan; Lim, Changwoo; Hong, Jiyoung; Lee, Soogab

2010-02-01

An experimental study was performed to compare the annoyances from civil-aircraft noise, military-aircraft noise, railway noise, and road-traffic noise. Two-way within-subjects designs were applied in this research. Fifty-two subjects, who were naive listeners, were given various stimuli with varying levels through a headphone in an anechoic chamber. Regardless of the frequency weighting network, even under the same average energy level, civil-aircraft noise was the most annoying, followed by military-aircraft noise, railway noise, and road-traffic noise. In particular, penalties in the time-averaged, A-weighted sound level (TAL) of about 8, 5, and 5 dB, respectively, were found in the civil-aircraft, military-aircraft, and railway noises. The reason could be clarified through the high-frequency component and the variability in the level. When people were exposed to sounds with the same maximum A-weighted level, a railway bonus of about 3 dB was found. However, transportation noise has been evaluated by the time-averaged A-weighted level in most countries. Therefore, in the present situation, the railway bonus is not acceptable for railway vehicles with diesel-electric engines.

Annoyance and activity disturbance induced by high-speed railway and conventional railway noise: a contrastive case study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background High-speed railway (HR, Electrified railway with service speed above 200 km/h.) noise and conventional railway (CR, Electrified railway with service speed under 200 km/h.) noise are different in both time and frequency domain. There is an urgent need to study the influence of HR noise and consequently, develop appropriate noise evaluation index and limits for the total railway noise including HR and CR noise. Methods Based on binaural recording of HR and CR noises in a approximate semi-free field, noise annoyance and activity disturbance induced by maximal train pass-by events in China were investigated through laboratory subjective evaluation. 80 students within recruited 102 students, 40 males and 40 females, 23.9 ± 2.1 years old, were finally selected as the subjects. After receiving noise stimulus via headphone of a binaural audio playback system, subjects were asked to express the annoyance or activity disturbance due to railway noise at a 0-100 numerical scale. Results The results show that with the same annoyance rating (A) or activity disturbance rating (D), the A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq) of CR noise is approximately 7 dB higher than that of HR noise. Linear regression analysis between some acoustical parameters and A (or D) suggests that the coefficient of determination (R2) is higher with the instantaneous fast A-weighted sound pressure level (LAFmax) than that with LAeq. A combined acoustical parameter, LHC = 1.74LAFmax + 0.008LAFmax(Lp-LAeq), where Lp is the sound pressure level, was derived consequently, which could better evaluate the total railway noise, including HR and CR noise. More importantly, with a given LHC, the noise annoyance of HR and CR noise is the same. Conclusions Among various acoustical parameters including LHC and LAeq, A and D have the highest correlation with LHC. LHC has been proved to be an appropriate index to evaluate the total railway noise, including both HR and CR. However, it should be pointed out that this study provides suggestive evidence, rather than a final proof. Further study is expected to elucidate conclusions above by additional measurements. PMID:24602397

Railway Tunnel Clearance Inspection Method Based on 3D Point Cloud from Mobile Laser Scanning

PubMed Central

Zhou, Yuhui; Wang, Shaohua; Mei, Xi; Yin, Wangling; Lin, Chunfeng; Mao, Qingzhou

2017-01-01

Railway tunnel clearance is directly related to the safe operation of trains and upgrading of freight capacity. As more and more railway are put into operation and the operation is continuously becoming faster, the railway tunnel clearance inspection should be more precise and efficient. In view of the problems existing in traditional tunnel clearance inspection methods, such as low density, slow speed and a lot of manual operations, this paper proposes a tunnel clearance inspection approach based on 3D point clouds obtained by a mobile laser scanning system (MLS). First, a dynamic coordinate system for railway tunnel clearance inspection has been proposed. A rail line extraction algorithm based on 3D linear fitting is implemented from the segmented point cloud to establish a dynamic clearance coordinate system. Second, a method to seamlessly connect all rail segments based on the railway clearance restrictions, and a seamless rail alignment is formed sequentially from the middle tunnel section to both ends. Finally, based on the rail alignment and the track clearance coordinate system, different types of clearance frames are introduced for intrusion operation with the tunnel section to realize the tunnel clearance inspection. By taking the Shuanghekou Tunnel of the Chengdu–Kunming Railway as an example, when the clearance inspection is carried out by the method mentioned herein, its precision can reach 0.03 m, and difference types of clearances can be effectively calculated. This method has a wide application prospects. PMID:28880232

Large-scale application of the flood damage model RAilway Infrastructure Loss (RAIL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellermann, Patric; Schönberger, Christine; Thieken, Annegret H.

2016-11-01

Experience has shown that river floods can significantly hamper the reliability of railway networks and cause extensive structural damage and disruption. As a result, the national railway operator in Austria had to cope with financial losses of more than EUR 100 million due to flooding in recent years. Comprehensive information on potential flood risk hot spots as well as on expected flood damage in Austria is therefore needed for strategic flood risk management. In view of this, the flood damage model RAIL (RAilway Infrastructure Loss) was applied to estimate (1) the expected structural flood damage and (2) the resulting repair costs of railway infrastructure due to a 30-, 100- and 300-year flood in the Austrian Mur River catchment. The results were then used to calculate the expected annual damage of the railway subnetwork and subsequently analysed in terms of their sensitivity to key model assumptions. Additionally, the impact of risk aversion on the estimates was investigated, and the overall results were briefly discussed against the background of climate change and possibly resulting changes in flood risk. The findings indicate that the RAIL model is capable of supporting decision-making in risk management by providing comprehensive risk information on the catchment level. It is furthermore demonstrated that an increased risk aversion of the railway operator has a marked influence on flood damage estimates for the study area and, hence, should be considered with regard to the development of risk management strategies.

Leukemia and brain tumors in Norwegian railway workers, a nested case-control study.

PubMed

Tynes, T; Jynge, H; Vistnes, A I

1994-04-01

In an attempt to assess whether exposure to electromagnetic fields on Norwegian railways induces brain tumors or leukemia, the authors conducted a nested case-control study of railway workers based on incident cases from the Cancer Registry of Norway in a cohort of 13,030 male Norwegian railway workers who had worked on either electric or non-electric railways. The cohort comprised railway line, outdoor station, and electricity workers. The case series comprised 39 men with brain tumors and 52 men with leukemia (follow-up, 1958-1990). Each case was matched on age with four or five controls selected from the same cohort. The exposure of each study subject to electric and magnetic fields was evaluated from cumulative exposure measures based on present measurements and historical data. Limited information on potential confounders such as creosote, solvents, and herbicides was also collected; information on whether the subject had smoked was obtained by interviews with the subjects or work colleagues. The case-control analysis showed that men employed on electric railways, compared with non-electric ones, had an odds ratio for leukemia of 0.70 (adjusted for smoking) and an odds ratio for brain tumor of 0.87. No significant trend was shown for exposure to either magnetic or electric fields. These results do not support an association between exposure to 16 2/3-Hertz electric or magnetic fields and the risk for leukemia or brain tumors.

Study of occupational stress among railway engine pilots

PubMed Central

Kumar, Devesh; Singh, Jai Vir; Kharwar, Poonam S.

2011-01-01

Background: Traffic volume and speed is going to be increased in Indian Railways successively, leading to higher stress in staff connected with train operations. The jobs of railway engine pilots come under the category of high-strain jobs, necessitating a need to conduct multicentric study to unfold the factors associated with occupational stress and organizational strategies. Materials and Methods: Present study covered 185 railway engine pilots and office clerks working in various railway zones by incidental method. Occupational Stress Index (OSI) test developed by Srivastva and Singh, questionnaire of specific stressors constructed by authors and laboratory test battery for psychological screening of high-speed train pilots were used as tools. Results: Means of OSI and all the 12 occupational stressors of railway engine pilots were found significantly higher to that of office clerks. Means of OSI and occupational stressors of goods train pilots were significantly higher in comparison to high-speed train pilots and passenger train pilots. Study revealed positive correlation of speed perception and complex reaction time tests and negative correlation of other constituent tests of laboratory test battery to OSI test. Highest subgroup of stressor observedwas role overload followed by role conflict. Conclusions: These findings provide a prima facie evidence of higher occupational stress among railway engine pilots because of identified specific stressors prevalent in their job and explore the possible intervention strategies for its reduction. Significant correlation is noticed between OSI and laboratory test results, indicating its relevant utility in preliminary psychological screening. PMID:21808497

77 FR 69542 - V and S Railway, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Colorado Department of Transportation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-19

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35664] V and S Railway.... 10502 from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10902 and 49 CFR 1150.1 et seq., for V and S Railway, LLC (V&S), a Class III rail carrier, to acquire approximately 121.9 miles of rail line between...

78 FR 42999 - City of Pickens, S.C. and City of Easley, S.C.-Acquisition Exemption-Pickens Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-18

....C. and City of Easley, S.C.--Acquisition Exemption--Pickens Railway Company The City of Pickens, S.C., and the City of Easley, S.C. (collectively, the Cities or Petitioners), both noncarrier political..., 16 U.S.C. 1247(d), and 49 CFR 1152.29 to permit the Cities to negotiate with Pickens Railway to...

77 FR 29753 - CaterParrott Railnet, L.L.C.-Sublease and Operation Exemption-Georgia & Florida Railway, L.L.C.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-18

... Railnet, L.L.C.--Sublease and Operation Exemption-- Georgia & Florida Railway, L.L.C. CaterParrott Railnet, L.L.C. (CPR), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to sublease from Georgia & Florida Railway, L.L.C. (GRF) and operate approximately 43.2 miles of rail line...

Semi-empirical model for the assessment of railway ballast using GPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giulia Brancadoro, Maria; Benedetto, Andrea

2017-04-01

Over time, railways have become a very competitive mean of transportation, especially for long distances. In order to ensure high level of safety, comfort and regularity of transportation, an efficient maintenance of the railway track-bed is crucial. In fact, the cyclic loads passing on the rails produce a progressive deterioration of railway ballast beneath the sleepers, and a breakdown of its particles that causes a general decrease of railway performances. This work aims at proposing a semi-empirical model for the characterisation of railway ballast grading, through the spectral analysis of Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) signal. To this effect, a theoretical study has been preliminary conducted to investigate the propagation and scattering phenomena of the electromagnetic waves within a ballast layer. To confirm the theoretical assumptions, high-frequency GPR signals have been both collected in laboratory and virtual environment. Concerning the latter, progressively more complex numerical domains have been designed and subjected to synthetic GPR test, by a Finite Different Time Domain (FTDT) procedure, run in GPR Max 2D simulator. As first simulation steps, ballast aggregates simplified through circles have been accounted for, with increasing values of radius. Subsequently, real-scale scenarios characterized by multi-size ballast particles, consistent with three different grain size distribution from railway network standards, have been reproduced by the employment of Random Sequential Adsorption - RSA algorithm. As far as the laboratory procedures, real GPR tests have been carried out on an experimental framework purposely set up, and composed of a methacrylate tank filled up with limestone-derived railway ballast. The ballast aggregates grading has been retrieved by means of an automatic image analysis algorithm, run on the lateral sight of the transparent tank. Through their spectral analysis, an empirical relationship between the position of the amplitude peak in the spectra, and the size of ballast particles was retrieved. As a result, this work opens new perspectives in railway track-bed maintenance. Indeed, it allows at monitoring the progressive evolution of ballast fragmentation and pollution phenomena, non-destructively and without need for any calibration. Acknowledgements The Authors thank COST, for funding the Action TU1208 "Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar"

Herbicide use on railway tracks for safety reasons in Germany?

PubMed

Schweinsberg, F; Abke, W; Rieth, K; Rohmann, U; Zullei-Seibert, N

1999-06-30

A short overview on the occurrence of herbicides in groundwater and drinking water located in the vicinity of railway tracks in Germany is presented. The study has been conducted using the experience of various water supply companies and includes a literature research on the subject. It has been documented that in Germany only 1% of the total area treated with pesticides was under management of the former Deutsche Bundesbahn before 1990. The specific amount applied on the railway tracks was, however, a factor of 6 higher than that used in agriculture, although it must be borne in mind that the retaining capacity of railway tracks for pesticides is much lower. The herbicides applied ranged from 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, triazine derivatives, e.g. atrazine and urea derivatives such as diuron. Traces of almost all of the herbicides applied could be detected in samples of groundwater and drinking water in the vicinity of railway tracks. Since 1997 only glyphosate has been used.

Stormwater quality management in rail transportation--past, present and future.

PubMed

Vo, Phuong Tram; Ngo, Huu Hao; Guo, Wenshan; Zhou, John L; Listowski, Andrzej; Du, Bin; Wei, Qin; Bui, Xuan Thanh

2015-04-15

Railways currently play an important role in sustainable transportation systems, owing to their substantial carrying capacity, environmental friendliness and land-saving advantages. Although total pollutant emissions from railway systems are far less than that of automobile vehicles, the pollution from railway operations should not be underestimated. To date, both scientific and practical papers dealing with stormwater management for rail tracks have solely focused on its drainage function. Unlike roadway transport, the potential of stormwater pollution from railway operations is currently mishandled. There have been very few studies into the impact of its operations on water quality. Hence, upon the realisation on the significance of nonpoint source pollution, stormwater management priorities should have been re-evaluated. This paper provides an examination of past and current practices of stormwater management in the railway industry, potential sources of stormwater pollution, obstacles faced in stormwater management and concludes with strategies for future management directions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-camera and structured-light vision system (MSVS) for dynamic high-accuracy 3D measurements of railway tunnels.

PubMed

Zhan, Dong; Yu, Long; Xiao, Jian; Chen, Tanglong

2015-04-14

Railway tunnel 3D clearance inspection is critical to guaranteeing railway operation safety. However, it is a challenge to inspect railway tunnel 3D clearance using a vision system, because both the spatial range and field of view (FOV) of such measurements are quite large. This paper summarizes our work on dynamic railway tunnel 3D clearance inspection based on a multi-camera and structured-light vision system (MSVS). First, the configuration of the MSVS is described. Then, the global calibration for the MSVS is discussed in detail. The onboard vision system is mounted on a dedicated vehicle and is expected to suffer from multiple degrees of freedom vibrations brought about by the running vehicle. Any small vibration can result in substantial measurement errors. In order to overcome this problem, a vehicle motion deviation rectifying method is investigated. Experiments using the vision inspection system are conducted with satisfactory online measurement results.

Reactions to railway noise in Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, T. V.; Kühl, K.; Relster, E.

1983-03-01

People's reactions to railway noise were studied along seven Danish railway lines with traffic intensities from 30 to about 300 trains per 24 hours. The calculated sound levels varied between 43 and 71 dB(A) for LAeq,24h and between 78 and 102 sB(A) for LAmax . 615 persons were interviewed. One third of these felt strongly or somewhat annoyed by the railway noise. The relations between the noise level and the extent of annoyance or various kinds of behaviour (telephone conversation, TV-listening, opening of windows, sleep, etc.) were found. The relations were found for both LAeq,24h and LAmax , but the correlation for LAmax is generally bad. Noise in the evenings was found to be more annoying than noise in other daytime periods. More than half of the interviewees answered that goods trains especially were a problem. People exposed to noise at their place of work seem to feel more annoyed by railway noise than other people.

65. CALIFORNIA STREET CABLE RAILWAY WINDING MACHINERY: Photocopy of ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

65. CALIFORNIA STREET CABLE RAILWAY - WINDING MACHINERY: Photocopy of February 1955 photograph showing the winding machinery of the California Street Cable Railroad. The two suspended sheaves on the right of the photograph bore down on the cable as it left the winders, supplying tension to the cable and eliminating the need for a long tension run. - San Francisco Cable Railway, Washington & Mason Streets, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

A new method of power load prediction in electrification railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dun, Xiaohong

2018-04-01

Aiming at the character of electrification railway, the paper mainly studies the problem of load prediction in electrification railway. After the preprocessing of data, and the similar days are separated on the basis of its statistical characteristics. Meanwhile the accuracy of different methods is analyzed. The paper provides a new thought of prediction and a new method of accuracy of judgment for the load prediction of power system.

Noise-induced hearing loss in a longitudinal study of Norwegian railway workers.

PubMed

Lie, Arve; Skogstad, Marit; Johnsen, Torstein Seip; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian

2016-09-02

The aim of this study was to analyse longitudinal data to assess the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in Norwegian railway workers. Longitudinal. A major Norwegian railway company. We examined data from the first and last audiograms for the period 1991-2014, from 9640 railway workers with varying occupational noise exposure and with an average observation period of 10 years. The course of hearing acuity in seven groups of railway workers (train drivers, conductors, bus drivers, traffic controllers, train maintenance workers, track maintenance workers and others) were compared with each other and with ISO standards (ISO 1999). The change in hearing threshold during the observation period was 2-3 dB in the 0.5-4 kHz range and 6-7 dB in the 3-6 kHz range adjusted for age and sex, for all occupational groups, which is slightly less than expected (8 dB) according to ISO 1999. The risk of NIHL in Norwegian railway workers during the period 1991-2014 has been negligible. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

An Intrusion Detection System for the Protection of Railway Assets Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

PubMed Central

Catalano, Angelo; Bruno, Francesco Antonio; Pisco, Marco; Cutolo, Antonello; Cusano, Andrea

2014-01-01

We demonstrate the ability of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) sensors to protect large areas from unauthorized activities in railway scenarios such as stations or tunnels. We report on the technological strategy adopted to protect a specific depot, representative of a common scenario for security applications in the railway environment. One of the concerns in the protection of a railway area centers on the presence of rail-tracks, which cannot be obstructed with physical barriers. We propose an integrated optical fiber system composed of FBG strain sensors that can detect human intrusion for protection of the perimeter combined with FBG accelerometer sensors for protection of rail-track access. Several trials were carried out in indoor and outdoor environments. The results demonstrate that FBG strain sensors bonded under a ribbed rubber mat enable the detection of intruder break-in via the pressure induced on the mat, whereas the FBG accelerometers installed under the rails enable the detection of intruders walking close to the railroad tracks via the acoustic surface waves generated by footsteps. Based on a single enabling technology, this integrated system represents a valuable intrusion detection system for railway security and could be integrated with other sensing functionalities in the railway field using fiber optic technology. PMID:25268920

Space Weather Effects on Mid-Latitude Railways: a Statistical Study of Anomalies observed in the Operation of Signaling and Train Control Equipment on the East-Siberian Railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinskii, V. V.; Ptitsyna, N. G.; Lyahov, N. N.; Dorman, L. I.; Villoresi, G.; Iucci, N.

The end result of a long chain of space weather events beginning on the Sun is the induction of currents in ground-based long conductors as power lines pipelines and railways Intense geomagnetically induced currents GIC can hamper rail traffic by disturbing signaling and train control systems In few cases induced voltages were believed to have affected signaling equipment in Sweden Jansen et al 2000 and in the North of Russia Belov et al 2005 GIC threats have been a concern for technological systems at high-latitude locations due to disturbances driven by electrojet intensifications However other geomagnetic storm processes such as SSC and ring current enhancement can also cause GIC concerns for the technological systems Objective of this report is to continue our research Ptitsyna et al 2005 on possible influence of geomagnetic storms on mid-latitude railways and to perform a statistical research in addition to case studies This will help in providing a basis for railway companies to evaluate the risk of disruption to signaling and train control equipment and devise engineering solutions In the present report we analyzed anomalies in operation of automatic signaling and train control equipment occurred in 2004-2005 on the East-Siberian Railway located at mid-latitudes latitudes 51N-56N longitudes 96E-114E The anomalies consist mainly in unstable functioning and false operations in traffic automatic control systems rail chain switches locomotive control devices etc often resulting in false engagement of railway

Probabilistic Fatigue Life Updating for Railway Bridges Based on Local Inspection and Repair.

PubMed

Lee, Young-Joo; Kim, Robin E; Suh, Wonho; Park, Kiwon

2017-04-24

Railway bridges are exposed to repeated train loads, which may cause fatigue failure. As critical links in a transportation network, railway bridges are expected to survive for a target period of time, but sometimes they fail earlier than expected. To guarantee the target bridge life, bridge maintenance activities such as local inspection and repair should be undertaken properly. However, this is a challenging task because there are various sources of uncertainty associated with aging bridges, train loads, environmental conditions, and maintenance work. Therefore, to perform optimal risk-based maintenance of railway bridges, it is essential to estimate the probabilistic fatigue life of a railway bridge and update the life information based on the results of local inspections and repair. Recently, a system reliability approach was proposed to evaluate the fatigue failure risk of structural systems and update the prior risk information in various inspection scenarios. However, this approach can handle only a constant-amplitude load and has limitations in considering a cyclic load with varying amplitude levels, which is the major loading pattern generated by train traffic. In addition, it is not feasible to update the prior risk information after bridges are repaired. In this research, the system reliability approach is further developed so that it can handle a varying-amplitude load and update the system-level risk of fatigue failure for railway bridges after inspection and repair. The proposed method is applied to a numerical example of an in-service railway bridge, and the effects of inspection and repair on the probabilistic fatigue life are discussed.

Probabilistic Fatigue Life Updating for Railway Bridges Based on Local Inspection and Repair

PubMed Central

Lee, Young-Joo; Kim, Robin E.; Suh, Wonho; Park, Kiwon

2017-01-01

Railway bridges are exposed to repeated train loads, which may cause fatigue failure. As critical links in a transportation network, railway bridges are expected to survive for a target period of time, but sometimes they fail earlier than expected. To guarantee the target bridge life, bridge maintenance activities such as local inspection and repair should be undertaken properly. However, this is a challenging task because there are various sources of uncertainty associated with aging bridges, train loads, environmental conditions, and maintenance work. Therefore, to perform optimal risk-based maintenance of railway bridges, it is essential to estimate the probabilistic fatigue life of a railway bridge and update the life information based on the results of local inspections and repair. Recently, a system reliability approach was proposed to evaluate the fatigue failure risk of structural systems and update the prior risk information in various inspection scenarios. However, this approach can handle only a constant-amplitude load and has limitations in considering a cyclic load with varying amplitude levels, which is the major loading pattern generated by train traffic. In addition, it is not feasible to update the prior risk information after bridges are repaired. In this research, the system reliability approach is further developed so that it can handle a varying-amplitude load and update the system-level risk of fatigue failure for railway bridges after inspection and repair. The proposed method is applied to a numerical example of an in-service railway bridge, and the effects of inspection and repair on the probabilistic fatigue life are discussed. PMID:28441768

The Development of Model for Measuring Railway Wheels Manufacturing Readiness Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inrawan Wiratmadja, Iwan; Mufid, Anas

2016-02-01

In an effort to grow the railway wheel industry in Indonesia and reduce the dependence on imports, Metal Industries Development Center (MIDC) makes the implementation of the railway wheel manufacturing technology in Indonesia. MIDC is an institution based on research and development having a task to research the production of railway wheels prototype and acts as a supervisor to the industry in Indonesia, for implementing the railway wheel manufacturing technology. The process of implementing manufacturing technology requires a lot of resources. Therefore it is necessary to measure the manufacturing readiness process. Measurement of railway wheels manufacturing readiness was in this study done using the manufacturing readiness level (MRL) model from the United States Department of Defense. MRL consists of 10 manufacturing readiness levels described by 90 criteria and 184 sub-criteria. To get a manufacturing readiness measurement instrument that is good and accurate, the development process involved experts through expert judgment method and validated with a content validity ratio (CVR). Measurement instrument developed in this study consist of 448 indicators. The measurement results show that MIDC's railway wheels manufacturing readiness is at the level 4. This shows that there is a gap between the current level of manufacturing readiness owned by MIDC and manufacturing readiness levels required to achieve the program objectives, which is level 5. To achieve the program objectives at level 5, a number of actions were required to be done by MIDC. Indicators that must be improved to be able to achieve level 5 are indicators related to the cost and financing, process capability and control, quality management, workers, and manufacturing management criteria.

Analysis of geohazards events along Swiss roads from autumn 2011 to present

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voumard, Jérémie; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Derron, Marc-Henri

2014-05-01

In Switzerland, roads and railways are threatened throughout the year by several natural hazards. Some of these events reach transport infrastructure many time per year leading to the closing of transportation corridors, loss of access, deviation travels and sometimes infrastructures damages and loss of human lives (3 fatalities during the period considered). The aim of this inventory of events is to investigate the number of natural events affecting roads and railways in Switzerland since autumn 2011 until now. Natural hazards affecting roads and railway can be classified in five categories: rockfalls, landslides, debris flows, snow avalanches and floods. They potentially cause several important direct damages on transportation infrastructure (roads, railway), vehicles (slightly or very damaged) or human life (slightly or seriously injured person, death). These direct damages can be easily evaluated from press articles or from Swiss police press releases. Indirect damages such as deviation cost are not taken into account in this work. During the two a half last years, about 50 events affecting the Swiss roads and Swiss railways infrastructures were inventoried. The proportion of events due to rockfalls is 45%, to landslides 25%, to debris flows 15%, to snow avalanches 10% and to floods 5%. During this period, three fatalities and two persons were injured while 23 vehicles (car, trains and coach) and 24 roads and railways were damaged. We can see that floods occur mainly on the Swiss Plateau whereas rockfalls, debris flow, snow avalanches and landslides are mostly located in the Alpine area. Most of events occur on secondary mountain roads and railways. The events are well distributed on the whole Alpine area except for the Gotthard hotspot, where an important European North-South motorway (hit in 2003 with two fatalities) and railway (hit three times in 2012 with one fatalities) are more frequently affected. According to the observed events in border regions of Switzerland, the trend in the Alps is similar.

Digital Model of Railway Electric Traction Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garg, Rachana; Mahajan, Priya; Kumar, Parmod

2017-08-01

The characteristic impedance and propagation constant define the behavior of signal propagation over the transmission lines. The digital model for railway traction lines which includes railway tracks is developed, using curve fitting technique in MATLAB. The sensitivity of this model has been computed with respect to frequency. The digital sensitivity values are compared with the values of analog sensitivity. The developed model is useful for digital protection, integrated operation, control and planning of the system.

Study on high reliability safety valve for railway vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuan; Chen, Ruikun; Zhang, Shixi; Xu, BuDu

2017-09-01

Now, the realization of most of the functions of the railway vehicles rely on compressed air, so the demand for compressed air is growing higher and higher. This safety valve is a protection device for pressure limitation and pressure relief in an air supply system of railway vehicles. I am going to introduce the structure, operating principle, research and development process of the safety valve designed by our company in this document.

Comparing the relationships between noise level and annoyance in different surveys - A railway noise vs. aircraft and road traffic comparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fields, J. M.; Walker, J. G.

1982-01-01

Annoyance expressed in a railway noise survey is compared with that from two road traffic and three aircraft surveys in order to determine whether responses to various types of environmental noise are source-specific. Railway noise is found to be less annoying than other noises at any given high noise level. Railway noise annoyance rises less rapidly with increasing noise level. At high levels, this gap in reactions averages about 10 dB; it ranges from 4 dB to more than 20 dB. The methods used for comparing the surveys are examined. It is found that methodological uncertainties lead to imprecise comparisons and that different annoyance scales yield different estimates of intersurvey differences.

18. Interior view, 'Inside Key Route Inspection Bldg.', view to ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

18. Interior view, 'Inside Key Route Inspection Bldg.', view to east, August 16, 1939. Note inspection pits and work areas beneath tracks. The Key Route and Interurban Electric Railway Bridge Yard Shop buildings were identical, and this view provides an in-service look at the well-lit interior. While Key Route articulated cars were quite different in design from the Interurban Electric Railway cars, the maintenance requirements were quite similar. The Key Route Bridge Yard Shop building was demolished in the 1970s. Its last use was storage of much of the historic railway equipment now on display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. - Interurban Electric Railway Bridge Yard Shop, Interstate 80 at Alameda County Postmile 2.0, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

29 CFR 215.6 - The Model Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... representatives of the Railway Labor Executives' Association, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The...

Long-term exposure to residential railway and road traffic noise and risk for diabetes in a Danish cohort.

PubMed

Roswall, Nina; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Jensen, Steen Solvang; Tjønneland, Anne; Sørensen, Mette

2018-01-01

Road traffic noise exposure has been found associated with diabetes incidence. Evidence for an association between railway noise exposure is less clear, as large studies with detailed railway noise modelling are lacking. To investigate the association between residential railway noise and diabetes incidence, and to repeat previous analyses on road traffic noise and diabetes with longer follow-up time. Among 50,534 middle-aged Danes enrolled into the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort from 1993 to 97, we identified 5062 cases of incident diabetes during a median follow-up of 15.5 years. Present and historical residential addresses from 1987 to 2012 were found in national registries, and railway and road traffic noise (L den ) were modelled for all addresses, using the Nordic prediction method. We used Cox proportional hazard models to investigate the association between residential traffic noise over 1 and 5 years before diagnosis, and diabetes incidence. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated as crude and adjusted for potential confounders. We found no association between railway noise exposure and diabetes incidence among the 9527 persons exposed, regardless of exposure time-window: HR 0.99 (0.94-1.04) per 10dB for 5-year exposure in fully adjusted models. There was no effect modification by sex, road traffic noise, and education. We confirmed the previously found association between road traffic noise exposure and diabetes including 6 additional years of follow-up: HR 1.08 (1.04-1.13) per 10dB for 5-year exposure in fully adjusted models. The study does not suggest an association between residential railway noise exposure and diabetes incidence, but supports the finding of a direct association with residential road traffic noise. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research on noise and vibration reduction at DB to improve the environmental friendliness of railway traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte-Werning, B.; Beier, M.; Degen, K. G.; Stiebel, D.

2006-06-01

One of the most prominent keywords relating to the environmental friendliness of railway traffic is noise reduction. Thus, the research and development programme "Low Noise Railway" of Deutsche Bahn (DB) is under way to treat the noise of the vehicles and infrastructure. The noise reduction of the trains and the rail/wheel system are being tackled within several projects. The direct noise experienced by railway-lineside residents due to train movements on the track can be reduced by minimising the sound radiation directly at the source. This is the first-choice solution, as it proves to be the most effective countermeasure regarding a cost-benefit relation. The limit values for the noise emission as specified in the technical specification for interoperability are an essential criterion to be confirmed during the procurement process of railway vehicles. A recently developed acoustical quality management scheme establishes systematic noise management to complete the vehicle procurement process in the phases of concept, design, construction and manufacturing. In freight traffic quiet railway wheels for block brake operation will play an important role in the future to meet the goal of a low-noise railway system. A first attempt to realise successfully the low-noise potential of such optimised wheels was performed, even if with mixed results. To show ways of reducing the noise of the cooling ventilation in locomotives, DB is a partner in a development project led by Siemens. A notable 8 dB(A) noise reduction was measured. Concerning bridge noise, a project was started based on an effective and cost-efficient combination of experiments and simulations in order to develop specifications for the construction of generic low-noise bridges.

Impact Capacity Reduction in Railway Prestressed Concrete Sleepers with Surface Abrasions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngamkhanong, Chayut; Li, Dan; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat

2017-10-01

Railway sleepers (also called ‘railroad tie’ in North America) embedded in ballasted railway tracks are a main part of railway track structures. Its important role is to transfer the loads evenly from the rails to a wider area of ballast bed and to secure rail gauge and enable safe passages of rolling stocks. By nature, railway infrastructure is nonlinear, evidenced by its behaviours, geometry and alignment, wheel-rail contact and operational parameters such as tractive efforts. Based on our critical review, the dynamic behaviour of railway sleepers has not been fully investigated, especially when the sleepers are deteriorated by excessive wears. In fact, the ballast angularity causes differential abrasions on the soffit or bottom surface of sleepers (especially at railseat zone). Furthermore, in sharp curves and rapid gradient change, longitudinal and lateral dynamics of rails increase the likelihood of railseat abrasions in concrete sleepers due to the unbalanced loading conditions. This paper presents a structural capacity of concrete sleepers under dynamic transient loading. The modified compression field theory for ultimate strength design of concrete sleepers under impact loading will be highlighted in this study. The influences of surface abrasions, including surface abrasion and soffit abrasion, on the dynamic behaviour of prestressed concrete sleepers, are firstly highlighted. The outcome of this study will improve the rail maintenance and inspection criteria in order to establish appropriate and sensible remote track condition monitoring network in practice. Moreover, this study will also improve the understanding of the fundamental dynamic behaviour of prestressed concrete sleepers with surface abrasions. The insight into these behaviours will not only improve safety and reliability of railway infrastructure but will enhance the structural safety of other concrete structures.

[Work condition of electricians servicing railway shunting and maneuvering yards].

PubMed

Talivanova, R V; Elizarov, B B; Kudrin, V A; Ovechkina, Zh V

1995-01-01

The article represents main occupational hazards and work conditions of such railway occupation as electromechanic and electromounter of shunting yards of railway stations. Complete hygienic evaluation of the occupational activities is given for individuals working at Moskovskaya, Oktjabrskaya and Sevemaya railroads. Health state of the workers was studied according to transitory disablement materials, the morbidity and its structure were analyzed. The authors outline some suggestions to improve the work conditions and decrease the morbidity.

Railway vehicle body structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1985-01-01

The strength and durability of railway vehicle structures is a major topic of engineering research and design. To reflect this importance the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers organised a conference to discuss all matters relating to railway vehicle design. This book presents the papers discussed in that conference. The contents include: Vehicle body design and the UIC's international contribution; LUL prototype 1986 stock - body structure; vehicle structure for the intermediate capacity transmit system vehicles; car body technology of advanced light rapid transit vehicles; concepts, techniques and experience in the idealization of car body structures for finitemore » element analysis; Calcutta metropolitan railway; design for a lightweight diesel multiple unit body; the design of lightweight inter-city coal structures; the BREL international coach body shell structure; new concepts and design techniques versus material standards; structures of BR diesel electric freight locomotives; structural design philosophy for electric locomotives; suspension design for a locomotive with low structural frequencies; freight wagon structures; a finite element study of coal bodyside panels including the effects of joint flexibility; a fresh approach to the problem of car body design strength; energy absorption in automatic couplings and draw gear; passenger vehicle design loads and structural crashworthiness; design of the front part of railway vehicles (in case of frontal impact); the development of a theoretical technique for rail vehicle structural crashworthiness.« less

Effect of railway safety education on the safety knowledge and behaviour intention of schoolchildren.

PubMed

Silla, Anne; Kallberg, Veli-Pekka

2016-04-01

This study was designed to evaluate whether railway safety lessons are effective in increasing schoolchildren's safety knowledge and behaviour intention. The railway safety education in schools included a 45-min lesson on safe behaviour in a railway environment directed at 8-11 year old schoolchildren. The lessons were held in four schools located near railway lines in Finland. The effectiveness of this measure was evaluated based on a short survey directed at pupils before the lesson (base level) and around 2-3 months later (post-lesson) based on three variables which are considered as strong determinants of actual behaviour: behaviour intention, estimated dangerousness of the behaviour, and level of knowledge on the legality of the behaviour. The results show that the change in the share of correct answers was positive regarding all questions except for one question in which the difference was not significant. Based on this we can reasonably assume that railway safety education in schools can have a positive effect for all the measured variables, although the effect is not necessarily large. The results indicate that these positive changes can have a positive effect on the frequency of trespassing (i.e. fewer unsafe crossings in the future). We can further assume that reduction in the frequency of trespassing would reduce the frequency of trespassing accidents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-Term Deflection Prediction from Computer Vision-Measured Data History for High-Speed Railway Bridges

PubMed Central

Lee, Jaebeom; Lee, Young-Joo

2018-01-01

Management of the vertical long-term deflection of a high-speed railway bridge is a crucial factor to guarantee traffic safety and passenger comfort. Therefore, there have been efforts to predict the vertical deflection of a railway bridge based on physics-based models representing various influential factors to vertical deflection such as concrete creep and shrinkage. However, it is not an easy task because the vertical deflection of a railway bridge generally involves several sources of uncertainty. This paper proposes a probabilistic method that employs a Gaussian process to construct a model to predict the vertical deflection of a railway bridge based on actual vision-based measurement and temperature. To deal with the sources of uncertainty which may cause prediction errors, a Gaussian process is modeled with multiple kernels and hyperparameters. Once the hyperparameters are identified through the Gaussian process regression using training data, the proposed method provides a 95% prediction interval as well as a predictive mean about the vertical deflection of the bridge. The proposed method is applied to an arch bridge under operation for high-speed trains in South Korea. The analysis results obtained from the proposed method show good agreement with the actual measurement data on the vertical deflection of the example bridge, and the prediction results can be utilized for decision-making on railway bridge maintenance. PMID:29747421

Research on high-speed railway's vibration analysis checking based on intelligent mobile terminal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Peigang; Xie, Shulin; Zhao, Xuefeng

2017-04-01

Recently, the development of high-speed railway meets the requirement of society booming and it has gradually become the first choice for long-length journey. Since ensuring the safety and stable operation are of great importance to high-speed trains owing to its unique features, vibration analysis checking is one of main means to be adopted. Due to the popularization of Smartphone, in this research, a novel public-participating method to achieve high-speed railway's vibration analysis checking based on smartphone and an inspection application of high-speed railway line built in the intelligent mobile terminal were proposed. Utilizing the accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS and other high-performance sensors which were integrated in smartphone, the application can obtain multiple parameters like acceleration, angle, etc and pinpoint the location. Therefore, through analyzing the acceleration data in time domain and frequency domain using fast Fourier transform, the research compared much of data from monitoring tests under different measure conditions and measuring points. Furthermore, an idea of establishing a system about analysis checking was outlined in paper. It has been validated that the smartphone-based high-speed railway line inspection system is reliable and feasible on the high-speed railway lines. And it has more advantages, such as convenience, low cost and being widely used. Obviously, the research has important practical significance and broad application prospects.

Long-Term Deflection Prediction from Computer Vision-Measured Data History for High-Speed Railway Bridges.

PubMed

Lee, Jaebeom; Lee, Kyoung-Chan; Lee, Young-Joo

2018-05-09

Management of the vertical long-term deflection of a high-speed railway bridge is a crucial factor to guarantee traffic safety and passenger comfort. Therefore, there have been efforts to predict the vertical deflection of a railway bridge based on physics-based models representing various influential factors to vertical deflection such as concrete creep and shrinkage. However, it is not an easy task because the vertical deflection of a railway bridge generally involves several sources of uncertainty. This paper proposes a probabilistic method that employs a Gaussian process to construct a model to predict the vertical deflection of a railway bridge based on actual vision-based measurement and temperature. To deal with the sources of uncertainty which may cause prediction errors, a Gaussian process is modeled with multiple kernels and hyperparameters. Once the hyperparameters are identified through the Gaussian process regression using training data, the proposed method provides a 95% prediction interval as well as a predictive mean about the vertical deflection of the bridge. The proposed method is applied to an arch bridge under operation for high-speed trains in South Korea. The analysis results obtained from the proposed method show good agreement with the actual measurement data on the vertical deflection of the example bridge, and the prediction results can be utilized for decision-making on railway bridge maintenance.

Toward an Application Guide for Safety Integrity Level Allocation in Railway Systems.

PubMed

Ouedraogo, Kiswendsida Abel; Beugin, Julie; El-Koursi, El-Miloudi; Clarhaut, Joffrey; Renaux, Dominique; Lisiecki, Frederic

2018-02-02

The work in the article presents the development of an application guide based on feedback and comments stemming from various railway actors on their practices of SIL allocation to railway safety-related functions. The initial generic methodology for SIL allocation has been updated to be applied to railway rolling stock safety-related functions in order to solve the SIL concept application issues. Various actors dealing with railway SIL allocation problems are the intended target of the methodology; its principles will be summarized in this article with a focus on modifications and precisions made in order to establish a practical guide for railway safety authorities. The methodology is based on the flowchart formalism used in CSM (common safety method) European regulation. It starts with the use of quantitative safety requirements, particularly tolerable hazard rates (THR). THR apportioning rules are applied. On the one hand, the rules are related to classical logical combinations of safety-related functions preventing hazard occurrence. On the other hand, to take into account technical conditions (last safety weak link, functional dependencies, technological complexity, etc.), specific rules implicitly used in existing practices are defined for readjusting some THR values. SIL allocation process based on apportioned and validated THR values is finally illustrated through the example of "emergency brake" subsystems. Some specific SIL allocation rules are also defined and illustrated. © 2018 Society for Risk Analysis.

Online Condition Monitoring of a Rail Fastening System on High-Speed Railways Based on Wavelet Packet Analysis

PubMed Central

Wei, Jiahong; Liu, Chong; Ren, Tongqun; Liu, Haixia; Zhou, Wenjing

2017-01-01

The rail fastening system is an important part of a high-speed railway track. It is always critical to the operational safety and comfort of railway vehicles. Therefore, the condition detection of the rail fastening system, looseness or absence, is an important task in railway maintenance. However, the vision-based method cannot identify the severity of rail fastener looseness. In this paper, the condition of rail fastening system is monitored based on an automatic and remote-sensing measurement system. Meanwhile, wavelet packet analysis is used to analyze the acceleration signals, based on which two damage indices are developed to locate the damage position and evaluate the severity of rail fasteners looseness, respectively. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, an experiment is performed on a high-speed railway experimental platform. The experimental results show that the proposed method is effective to assess the condition of the rail fastening system. The monitoring system significantly reduces the inspection time and increases the efficiency of maintenance management. PMID:28208732

A Review on the Development of New Materials for Construction of Prestressed Concrete Railway Sleepers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raj, Anand; Nagarajan, Praveen; Shashikala, A. P.

2018-03-01

Railways form the backbone of all economies, transporting goods, and passengers alike. Sleepers play a pivotal role in track performance and safety in rail transport. This paper discusses in brief about the materials that have been used in making sleepers in the early stages of railways. Extensive studies have been carried out on the static, dynamic and impact analysis of prestressed sleepers all around the globe. It has been shown that majority of the sleepers do not last till their expected design life resulting in massive replacement and repair cost. The primary reasons leading to the failure of sleepers have been summarised. This article also highlights the use of new materials developed recently for the construction of prestressed concrete sleepers to improve the performance and life of railway sleepers. Use of geopolymer concrete and steel fibre reinforced concrete, assist in the reduction of flexural cracking, whereas rubber concrete enhances the impact resistance of concrete by three folds. This paper presents a review of state of the art of new materials for railway sleepers.

Using Fuzzy Multiple Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Assessing the Risk of Railway Reconstruction Project in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Yu, Shih-Heng; Chang, Dong-Shang

2014-01-01

This study investigates the risk factors in railway reconstruction project through complete literature reviews on construction project risks and scrutinizing experiences and challenges of railway reconstructions in Taiwan. Based on the identified risk factors, an assessing framework based on the fuzzy multicriteria decision-making (fuzzy MCDM) approach to help construction agencies build awareness of the critical risk factors on the execution of railway reconstruction project, measure the impact and occurrence likelihood for these risk factors. Subjectivity, uncertainty and vagueness within the assessment process are dealt with using linguistic variables parameterized by trapezoid fuzzy numbers. By multiplying the degree of impact and the occurrence likelihood of risk factors, estimated severity values of each identified risk factor are determined. Based on the assessment results, the construction agencies were informed of what risks should be noticed and what they should do to avoid the risks. That is, it enables construction agencies of railway reconstruction to plan the appropriate risk responses/strategies to increase the opportunity of project success and effectiveness. PMID:24772014

Fundamental Study on Saving Energy for Electrified Railway System Applying High Temperature Superconductor Motor and Energy Storage System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Takeshi; Nakamura, Taketsune; Amemiya, Naoyuki

Induction motor instead of dc one has been applied widely for dc electric rolling stock because of the advantage of its utility and efficiency. However, further improvement of motor characteristics will be required to realize environment-friendly dc railway system in the future. It is important to study more efficient machine applying dc electric rolling stock for next generation high performance system. On the other hand, the methods to reuse regenerative energy produced by motors effectively are also important. Therefore, we carried out fundamental study on saving energy for electrified railway system. For the first step, we introduced the energy storage system applying electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC), and its control system. And then, we tried to obtain the specification of high temperature superconductor induction/synchronous motor (HTS-ISM), which performance is similar with that of the conventional induction motors. Furthermore, we tried to evaluate an electrified railway system applying energy storage system and HTS-ISM based on simulation. We succeeded in showing the effectiveness of the introductions of energy storage system and HTS-ISM in DC electrified railway system.

A cascading failure model for analyzing railway accident causation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jin-Tao; Li, Ke-Ping

2018-01-01

In this paper, a new cascading failure model is proposed for quantitatively analyzing the railway accident causation. In the model, the loads of nodes are redistributed according to the strength of the causal relationships between the nodes. By analyzing the actual situation of the existing prevention measures, a critical threshold of the load parameter in the model is obtained. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed cascading model, simulation experiments of a train collision accident are performed. The results show that the cascading failure model can describe the cascading process of the railway accident more accurately than the previous models, and can quantitatively analyze the sensitivities and the influence of the causes. In conclusion, this model can assist us to reveal the latent rules of accident causation to reduce the occurrence of railway accidents.

Optimal working zone division for safe track maintenance in The Netherlands.

PubMed

den Hertog, D; van Zante-de Fokkert, J I; Sjamaar, S A; Beusmans, R

2005-09-01

After a sequence of serious accidents, the safety of rail track workers became an urgent and political problem in The Netherlands. It turned out that the rail track workers had one of the most dangerous jobs. The board of the Dutch Railways decided that the Dutch railway infrastructure had to be divided into so-called working zones. Moreover, to carry out maintenance activities, that particular working zone of the railway system had to be taken out of service. An essential problem was how to divide the Dutch railway infrastructure into working zones such that all parties involved are satisfied. Since many parties with conflicting interests were involved, this problem was extremely difficult. In this paper we show the division rules we developed, and which had been implemented in The Netherlands.

The Dynamic Tensile Behavior of Railway Wheel Steel at High Strain Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Lin; Han, Liangliang; Zhao, Longmao; Zhang, Ying

2016-11-01

The dynamic tensile tests on D1 railway wheel steel at high strain rates were conducted using a split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB) apparatus, compared to quasi-static tests. Three different types of specimens, which were machined from three different positions (i.e., the rim, web and hub) of a railway wheel, were prepared and examined. The rim specimens were checked to have a higher yield stress and ultimate tensile strength than those web and hub specimens under both quasi-static and dynamic loadings, and the railway wheel steel was demonstrated to be strain rate dependent in dynamic tension. The dynamic tensile fracture surfaces of all the wheel steel specimens are cup-cone-shaped morphology on a macroscopic scale and with the quasi-ductile fracture features on the microscopic scale.

Railway transport of low temperature heat from large power stations by means of alternative heat carriers and water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luchtman, G.; Bracke, T.

1981-11-01

The feasibility of railway transport of liquid and solid heat carriers in tank cars so as to replace pipeline transport of small to medium large heat loads was investigated. The typical characteristics of railway transport were analyzed and all essential technical and economical variables were integrated in a transport model. Over 1000 complex chemical compounds were evaluated for their suitability as heat carriers. Of these, three ammonia compounds are considered as promising. Considering, however, that complicated and expensive facilities are needed for heat transfer to and from ammonia, water is identified as the better choice. Results, based on 1975 transport prices, show that railway heat transport becomes competitive for heat loads above 50 to 100 MW and transport distances over 20 km.

Seasonal and individual variation in the use of rail-associated food attractants by grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in a national park.

PubMed

Murray, Maureen H; Fassina, Sarah; Hopkins, John B; Whittington, Jesse; St Clair, Colleen C

2017-01-01

Similar to vehicles on roadways, trains frequently kill wildlife via collisions along railways. Despite the prevalence of this mortality worldwide, little is known about the relative importance of wildlife attractants associated with railways, including spilled agricultural products, enhanced vegetation, invertebrates, and carcasses of rail-killed ungulates. We assessed the relative importance of several railway attractants to a provincially-threatened population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Banff and Yoho National Parks, Canada, for which rail-caused mortality has increased in recent decades without known cause. We examined the relationship between the use of the railway and diet by fitting 21 grizzly bears with GPS collars in 2011-2013 and measuring the stable isotope values (δ15N, δ34S) derived from their hair. We also examined the importance of rail-associated foods to grizzly bears by analyzing 230 grizzly bear scats collected from May through October in 2012-2014, some of which could be attributed to GPS-collared bears. Among the 21 collared bears, 17 used the rail rarely (<9% of the days they were monitored), and only four bears (which included the three smallest bears and the largest bear in our sample) used the rail frequently (>20% of their monitored days). We found no significant relationships between δ15N and δ34S values measured from the hair of grizzlies and their frequency of rail use. Instead, δ15N increased with body mass, especially for male bears, suggesting large males consumed more animal protein during hair growth. All four bears that used the railway frequently produced scats containing grain. Almost half the scats (43%) collected within 150 m of the railway contained grain compared to only 7% of scats found >150 m from the railway. Scats deposited near the rail were also more likely to contain grain in the fall (85% of scats) compared to summer (14%) and spring (17%), and those containing grain were more diverse in their contents (6.8 ± 2.2 species vs. 4.9 ± 1.6, P < 0.001). Lastly, scats collected near the rail were more likely to contain ungulate hair and ant remains, especially in the summer. Our results support local management knowledge that some bears in the region use the railway to forage and supplement their diets with spilled grain, but that individual use of the railway and associated foods were highly variable. We suggest that managers continue to reduce the risk of bears being killed by trains by reactively removing grain and ungulate carcasses from the railway, reducing the amount of grain spilled by trains, and target mitigation to the specific individuals and locations that attract recurrent rail-based foraging.

Seasonal and individual variation in the use of rail-associated food attractants by grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in a national park

PubMed Central

Fassina, Sarah; Hopkins, John B.; Whittington, Jesse; St. Clair, Colleen C.

2017-01-01

Similar to vehicles on roadways, trains frequently kill wildlife via collisions along railways. Despite the prevalence of this mortality worldwide, little is known about the relative importance of wildlife attractants associated with railways, including spilled agricultural products, enhanced vegetation, invertebrates, and carcasses of rail-killed ungulates. We assessed the relative importance of several railway attractants to a provincially-threatened population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Banff and Yoho National Parks, Canada, for which rail-caused mortality has increased in recent decades without known cause. We examined the relationship between the use of the railway and diet by fitting 21 grizzly bears with GPS collars in 2011–2013 and measuring the stable isotope values (δ15N, δ34S) derived from their hair. We also examined the importance of rail-associated foods to grizzly bears by analyzing 230 grizzly bear scats collected from May through October in 2012–2014, some of which could be attributed to GPS-collared bears. Among the 21 collared bears, 17 used the rail rarely (<9% of the days they were monitored), and only four bears (which included the three smallest bears and the largest bear in our sample) used the rail frequently (>20% of their monitored days). We found no significant relationships between δ15N and δ34S values measured from the hair of grizzlies and their frequency of rail use. Instead, δ15N increased with body mass, especially for male bears, suggesting large males consumed more animal protein during hair growth. All four bears that used the railway frequently produced scats containing grain. Almost half the scats (43%) collected within 150 m of the railway contained grain compared to only 7% of scats found >150 m from the railway. Scats deposited near the rail were also more likely to contain grain in the fall (85% of scats) compared to summer (14%) and spring (17%), and those containing grain were more diverse in their contents (6.8 ± 2.2 species vs. 4.9 ± 1.6, P < 0.001). Lastly, scats collected near the rail were more likely to contain ungulate hair and ant remains, especially in the summer. Our results support local management knowledge that some bears in the region use the railway to forage and supplement their diets with spilled grain, but that individual use of the railway and associated foods were highly variable. We suggest that managers continue to reduce the risk of bears being killed by trains by reactively removing grain and ungulate carcasses from the railway, reducing the amount of grain spilled by trains, and target mitigation to the specific individuals and locations that attract recurrent rail-based foraging. PMID:28542218

DC Cable for Railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita, Masaru

The development of a superconducting cable for railways has commenced, assuming that a DC transmission cable will be used for electric trains. The cable has been fabricated based on the results of current testing of a superconducting wire, and various evaluation tests have been performed to determine the characteristics of the cable. A superconducting transmission cable having zero electrical resistance and suitable for railway use is expected to enhance regeneration efficiency, reduce power losses, achieve load leveling and integration of sub-stations, and reduce rail potential.

75 FR 61560 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-05

...'s arguments in favor of relief. Akron Barberton Cluster Railway [Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-2010-0144] The Akron Barberton Cluster Railway (ABC) seeks a waiver of compliance from certain...

Fatal accidents at railway level crossings in Great Britain 1946-2009.

PubMed

Evans, Andrew W

2011-09-01

This paper investigates fatal accidents and fatalities at level crossings in Great Britain over the 64-year period 1946-2009. The numbers of fatal accidents and fatalities per year fell by about 65% in the first half of that period, but since then have remained more or less constant at about 11 fatal accidents and 12 fatalities per year. At the same time other types of railway fatalities have fallen, so level crossings represent a growing proportion of the total. Nevertheless, Britain's level crossing safety performance remains good by international standards. The paper classifies level crossings into three types: railway-controlled, automatic, and passive. The safety performance of the three types of crossings has been very different. Railway-controlled crossings are the best-performing crossing type, with falling fatal accident rates. Automatic crossings have higher accident rates per crossing than railway controlled or passive crossings, and the accident rates have not decreased. Passive crossings are by far the most numerous, but many have low usage by road users. Their fatal accident rate has remained remarkably constant over the whole period at about 0.9 fatal accidents per 1000 crossings per year. A principal reason why fatal accidents and fatalities have not fallen in the second half of the period as they did in the first half is the increase in the number of automatic crossings, replacing the safer railway controlled crossings on some public roads. However, it does not follow that this replacement was a mistake, because automatic crossings have advantages over controlled crossings in reducing delays to road users and in not needing staff. Based on the trends for each type of crossing and for pedestrian and non-pedestrian accidents separately, in 2009 a mean of about 5% of fatal accidents were at railway controlled crossings, 52% were at automatic crossings, and 43% were at passive crossings. Fatalities had similar proportions. About 60% of fatalities were to pedestrians. A simple comparison of automatic railway level crossings and signalised road intersections found that in 2005 the numbers of fatalities per 1000 crossings or intersections were similar. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behaviour patterns preceding a railway suicide: Explorative study of German Federal Police officers' experiences

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Constant high-level numbers of railway suicides indicate that prevention strategies against railway suicides are urgently needed. The main question of the present study was whether pre-crash railway suicide behaviour can be identified, using German Federal Police officers experience with suicidal events in railway related environments. Methods To collect information on pre-crash railway suicide behaviour, a questionnaire was used and made available on the German Federal Police intranet. A total of 202 subjects (mean age: 41 years, sex: 84.9% male) were included in the analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to predict the prevention of suicide (first model) or demand for counselling (second model) as outcomes. Sex, age, years of service, number of experienced suicides, suicides personally observed, information on suicides obtained from witnesses and finally either counselling/debriefing (first model) or whether officers had prevented a suicide (second model) were used as predictors. Results A considerable proportion of police officers reported behavioural patterns preceding a suicide. Half of them observed the dropping or leaving behind of personal belongings or the avoidance of eye contact, more than a third erratic gesture, mimic or movement. Erratic communication patterns and general confusion were each reported by about one quarter. One fifth indicated the influence of alcohol. Less frequently observed behaviour was aimlessly wandering (14.3%) and out of the ordinary clothing (4%). About one third of all railway suicide victims committed suicide in stations. Of those, 70% had chosen an eminent spot. The multivariate logistic regression model using prevented suicides as the outcome identified the number of suicides experienced, counselling/debriefing and having personally observed a suicide as variables with significant impact. The model using counselling/debriefing as the outcome identified age and having prevented a suicide as variables with a significant association. Conclusions Our results provide evidence that railway suicides are preceded by identifiable behavioural patterns. This emphasizes the importance of educational efforts, taking into account the knowledge and skills of experienced police officers. PMID:21816069

Influence of environmental pollution with creosote oil or its vapors on biomass and selected physiological groups of microorganisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krzyśko-Łupicka, Teresa; Cybulska, Krystyna; Kołosowski, Paweł; Telesiński, Arkadiusz; Sudoł, Adam

2017-11-01

Survival of microorganisms in soils from treatment facility and landfill of wooden railway sleepers contaminated with creosote oil as well as in two types of soils with different content of organic carbon, treated with creosote oil vapors, was assessed. Microbiological assays including determination of: the biomass of living microorganisms method and the number of proteolytic, lipolytic and amylolytic microorganisms were carried out under laboratory conditions. Chromatography analysis of the soil extract from railway sleepers treatment facility was performed using GC/MS. The highest biomass and the number of tested microorganisms were determined in soils from wooden railway sleepers landfill, while the lowest in soil from the railway sleepers treatment facility. Vapors of creosote oil, regardless of the soil type, significantly increased only the number of lipolytic bacteria.

Creosote released from railway-ties recycled and the sanitary risks.

PubMed

Zicari, Giuseppe; Allegro, Giuseppe; Russo, Domenico; Rivetti, Daniela; Soardo, Vincenzo; Cerrato, Elena

2013-01-01

Through the history of railways, wooden crossties impregnated with potentially hazardous creosote tar, have been used for years. There are six major classes of compounds in the creosote: aromatic hydrocarbons; tar acids/phenolics; tar bases/nitrogen-containing heterocycles; aromatic amines; sulfur-containing heterocycles; and oxygen-containing heterocycles. The creosote molecules applied in railway crossties can be released in the environment and they can bioaccumulate in animals and vegetables. Some constituents (benzo(a)pyrene and phenolics like benzene) are considered as being carcinogenic which renders the entire complex of creosote to be classified as potentially carcinogenic. After several decades of use the railway-ties are been recycled for varies uses like fences, stakes for agriculture and fruit production or bank protection. In this paper are examined some environmental and sanitary risks from wood impregnated with creosote reported in the literature.

Analysis and forecast of railway coal transportation volume based on BP neural network combined forecasting model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yongbin; Xie, Haihong; Wu, Liuyi

2018-05-01

The share of coal transportation in the total railway freight volume is about 50%. As is widely acknowledged, coal industry is vulnerable to the economic situation and national policies. Coal transportation volume fluctuates significantly under the new economic normal. Grasp the overall development trend of railway coal transportation market, have important reference and guidance significance to the railway and coal industry decision-making. By analyzing the economic indicators and policy implications, this paper expounds the trend of the coal transportation volume, and further combines the economic indicators with the high correlation with the coal transportation volume with the traditional traffic prediction model to establish a combined forecasting model based on the back propagation neural network. The error of the prediction results is tested, which proves that the method has higher accuracy and has practical application.

An improved network model for railway traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Keping; Ma, Xin; Shao, Fubo

In railway traffic, safety analysis is a key issue for controlling train operation. Here, the identification and order of key factors are very important. In this paper, a new network model is constructed for analyzing the railway safety, in which nodes are regarded as causation factors and links represent possible relationships among those factors. Our aim is to give all these nodes an importance order, and to find the in-depth relationship among these nodes including how failures spread among them. Based on the constructed network model, we propose a control method to ensure the safe state by setting each node a threshold. As the results, by protecting the Hub node of the constructed network, the spreading of railway accident can be controlled well. The efficiency of such a method is further tested with the help of numerical example.

Fault Detection and Diagnosis of Railway Point Machines by Sound Analysis

PubMed Central

Lee, Jonguk; Choi, Heesu; Park, Daihee; Chung, Yongwha; Kim, Hee-Young; Yoon, Sukhan

2016-01-01

Railway point devices act as actuators that provide different routes to trains by driving switchblades from the current position to the opposite one. Point failure can significantly affect railway operations, with potentially disastrous consequences. Therefore, early detection of anomalies is critical for monitoring and managing the condition of rail infrastructure. We present a data mining solution that utilizes audio data to efficiently detect and diagnose faults in railway condition monitoring systems. The system enables extracting mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCCs) from audio data with reduced feature dimensions using attribute subset selection, and employs support vector machines (SVMs) for early detection and classification of anomalies. Experimental results show that the system enables cost-effective detection and diagnosis of faults using a cheap microphone, with accuracy exceeding 94.1% whether used alone or in combination with other known methods. PMID:27092509

The Research on Safety Management Information System of Railway Passenger Based on Risk Management Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Wenmin; Jia, Yuanhua

2018-01-01

Based on the risk management theory and the PDCA cycle model, requirements of the railway passenger transport safety production is analyzed, and the establishment of the security risk assessment team is proposed to manage risk by FTA with Delphi from both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The safety production committee is also established to accomplish performance appraisal, which is for further ensuring the correctness of risk management results, optimizing the safety management business processes and improving risk management capabilities. The basic framework and risk information database of risk management information system of railway passenger transport safety are designed by Ajax, Web Services and SQL technologies. The system realizes functions about risk management, performance appraisal and data management, and provides an efficient and convenient information management platform for railway passenger safety manager.

Fuzzy Temporal Logic Based Railway Passenger Flow Forecast Model

PubMed Central

Dou, Fei; Jia, Limin; Wang, Li; Xu, Jie; Huang, Yakun

2014-01-01

Passenger flow forecast is of essential importance to the organization of railway transportation and is one of the most important basics for the decision-making on transportation pattern and train operation planning. Passenger flow of high-speed railway features the quasi-periodic variations in a short time and complex nonlinear fluctuation because of existence of many influencing factors. In this study, a fuzzy temporal logic based passenger flow forecast model (FTLPFFM) is presented based on fuzzy logic relationship recognition techniques that predicts the short-term passenger flow for high-speed railway, and the forecast accuracy is also significantly improved. An applied case that uses the real-world data illustrates the precision and accuracy of FTLPFFM. For this applied case, the proposed model performs better than the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. PMID:25431586

Spatial mismatch analysis among hotspots of alien plant species, road and railway networks in Germany and Austria

PubMed Central

Morelli, Federico

2017-01-01

Road and railway networks are pervasive elements of all environments, which have expanded intensively over the last century in all European countries. These transportation infrastructures have major impacts on the surrounding landscape, representing a threat to biodiversity. Roadsides and railways may function as corridors for dispersal of alien species in fragmented landscapes. However, only few studies have explored the spread of invasive species in relationship to transport network at large spatial scales. We performed a spatial mismatch analysis, based on a spatially explicit correlation test, to investigate whether alien plant species hotspots in Germany and Austria correspond to areas of high density of roads and railways. We tested this independently of the effects of dominant environments in each spatial unit, in order to focus just on the correlation between occurrence of alien species and density of linear transportation infrastructures. We found a significant spatial association between alien plant species hotspots distribution and roads and railways density in both countries. As expected, anthropogenic landscapes, such as urban areas, harbored more alien plant species, followed by water bodies. However, our findings suggested that the distribution of neobiota is strongest correlated to road/railways density than to land use composition. This study provides new evidence, from a transnational scale, that alien plants can use roadsides and rail networks as colonization corridors. Furthermore, our approach contributes to the understanding on alien plant species distribution at large spatial scale by the combination with spatial modeling procedures. PMID:28829818

Mitigation of landslide area around railway tunnel, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toha, M. Taufik; Setiabudidaya, Dedi; Komar, Syamsul; Bochori, Ghadafi, Moamar A.; Adiwarman, Mirza; Rahim, S. E.

2017-09-01

Adequate and safe railway line infrastructures as well as facilities are required to support the rail transport system in South Sumatra. The slope stability along railway line of Lahat-Lubuk Linggau South Sumatra were studied during landslide that occured on January 23th, 2016. The landslide occurred on the mouth of railway tunnel in Gunung Gajah Village, Lahat District that causing the railway transportation system had to be stopped for a few days. A comprehensive research was conducted to analyze the causes of the landslide and to identify other landslide risky areas along the railway line Lahat-Lubuk Linggau. The research activities included surveying, sampling, laboratory testing, investigating condition of geology, geotechnics, hydrogeology/hydrology, morphology and land use. The factors that cause landslide in the past studies were found to be morphology, structural geology, physical and mechanical characteristics, hydrogeology, hydrology, external forces (train vibration, earthquake). Results back analysis of slope stability when the landslide occurred showed that the value Safety Factor (SF) = 1, angle of friction = 0°, and cohesion = 0.49 kg/cm2 (49 kPa). Based on the observation and analysis of the condition of the morphology and orientation of the structure of the rock layers, there was a location prone to landslide (labile) in the surrounding area of the landslide. Mitigations to potential landslide in adjacent area were building a retaining wall, draining channels, and shortcrete at the rock wall after landslides and maintaining the land use around the slopes.

Quantifying the provenance of aeolian sediments using multiple composite fingerprints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Benli; Niu, Qinghe; Qu, Jianjun; Zu, Ruiping

2016-09-01

We introduce a new fingerprinting method that uses multiple composite fingerprints for studies of aeolian sediment provenance. We used this method to quantify the provenance of sediments on both sides of the Qinghai-Tibetan Railway (QTR) in the Cuona Lake section of the Tibetan Plateau (TP), in an environment characterized by aeolian and fluvial interactions. The method involves repeatedly solving a linear mixing model based on mass conservation; the model is not limited to spatial scale or transport types and uses all the tracer groups that passed the range check, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and a strict analytical solution screening. The proportional estimates that result from using different composite fingerprints are highly variable; however, the average of these fingerprints has a greater accuracy and certainty than any single fingerprint. The results show that sand from the lake beach, hilly surface, and gullies contribute, respectively, 48%, 31% and 21% to the western railway sediments and 43%, 33% and 24% to the eastern railway sediments. The difference between contributions from various sources on either side of the railway, which may increase in the future, was clearly related to variations in local transport characteristics, a conclusion that is supported by grain size analysis. The construction of the QTR changed the local cycling of materials, and the difference in provenance between the sediments that are separated by the railway reflects the changed sedimentary conditions on either side of the railway. The effectiveness of this method suggests that it will be useful in other studies of aeolian sediments.

An implementation of cellular automaton model for single-line train working diagram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Wei; Liu, Jun

2006-04-01

According to the railway transportation system's characteristics, a new cellular automaton model for the single-line railway system is presented in this paper. Based on this model, several simulations were done to imitate the train operation under three working diagrams. From a different angle the results show how the organization of train operation impacts on the railway carrying capacity. By using the non-parallel train working diagram the influence of fast-train on slow-train is found to be the strongest. Many slow-trains have to wait in-between neighbouring stations to let the fast-train(s) pass through first. So the slow-train will advance like a wave propagating from the departure station to the arrival station. This also resembles the situation of a highway jammed traffic flow. Furthermore, the nonuniformity of travel times between the sections also greatly limits the railway carrying capacity. After converting the nonuniform sections into the sections with uniform travel times while the total travel time is kept unchanged, all three carrying capacities are improved greatly as shown by simulation. It also shows that the cellular automaton model is an effective and feasible way to investigate the railway transportation system.

Price Analysis of Railway Freight Transport under Marketing Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Ying; Fang, Xiaoping; Chen, Zhiya

Regarding the problems in the reform of the railway tariff system and the pricing of the transport, by means of assaying the influence of the price elasticity on the artifice used for price, this article proposed multiple regressive model which analyzed price elasticity quantitatively. This model conclude multi-factors which influences on the price elasticity, such as the averagely railway freight charge, the averagely freight haulage of proximate supersede transportation mode, the GDP per capita in the point of origin, and a series of dummy variable which can reflect the features of some productive and consume demesne. It can calculate the price elasticity of different classes in different domains, and predict the freight traffic volume on different rate levels. It can calculate confidence-level, and evaluate the relevance of each parameter to get rid of irrelevant or little relevant variables. It supplied a good theoretical basis for directing the pricing of transport enterprises in market economic conditions, which is suitable for railway freight, passenger traffic and other transportation manner as well. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science) software was used to calculate and analysis the example. This article realized the calculation by HYFX system(Ministry of Railways fund).

Interaction of railway vehicles with track in cross-winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y. L.; Ding, Q. S.

2006-04-01

This paper presents a framework for simulating railway vehicle and track interaction in cross-wind. Each 4-axle vehicle in a train is modeled by a 27-degree-of-freedom dynamic system. Two parallel rails of a track are modeled as two continuous beams supported by a discrete-elastic foundation of three layers with sleepers and ballasts included. The vehicle subsystem and the track subsystem are coupled through contacts between wheels and rails based on contact theory. Vertical and lateral rail irregularities simulated using an inverse Fourier transform are also taken into consideration. The simulation of steady and unsteady aerodynamic forces on a moving railway vehicle in cross-wind is then discussed in the time domain. The Hilber Hughes Taylor α-method is employed to solve the nonlinear equations of motion of coupled vehicle and track systems in cross-wind. The proposed framework is finally applied to a railway vehicle running on a straight track substructure in cross-wind. The safety and comfort performance of the moving vehicle in cross-wind are discussed. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework and the associated computer program can be used to investigate interaction problems of railway vehicles with track in cross-wind.

Study on the Pumped Materials along Rail Bed in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Chihping; Hsu, Chihhao; Wu, Chinwei; Wang, Hongyi

2016-04-01

The Neiwan Line is a railway branch line in Taiwan operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration. It is located in Hsinchu County. This line was completed on 11 September 1951. Although this line is a branch line, its standards are comparable to those of a main line except that it is not electrified. The materials for constructing railway subgrade were general in-situ topsoil which deposited in Pliocene. This line suffers the subgrade mud pumping frequently. Railway subgrade mud pumping is one of the most common defects on railway constructions. Most cases of the pumping phenomenon are caused in mud, say silt or ML in USCS. However, field observation and loggings show that not only silt but also other kinds of soil, such as sand or clay, pump as well in this study. Thirty pumping samples were collected in a sectional zone which length is about 12kM. In the 30 samples, 12 ones are Sand, 10 ones are Silt, 6 ones are Clay, and 2 ones are Gravel. Under very similar conditions, such as natural geological material, train operations, the reasons why different soil caused pumping is well discussed in this paper.

Rail embankment stabilization needs on the Hudson Bay Railway.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-24

Since its construction in 1929, the Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) located in northern Manitoba, Canada, has been witnessing track deterioration through differential settlements. These differential settlements, termed sinkholes, have been linked to t...

Human Factors Countermeasures to Improve Highway-Railway Intersection Safety

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-07-01

A field demonstration study in support of the evaluation of alternative railway-highway grade crossing accident countermeasures was conducted. Guidelines were provided for the development of countermeasure concepts. Investigations of the causative fa...

Recommendations for KYTC's railway/highway at-grade crossing management practices.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

An ideal Railway/Highway At-Grade Crossing Management program involves selecting cost-effective : practices when designing new crossings and rehabilitating existing crossings. This report outlines two : strategies to enhance KYTCs existing program...

1. General view of Oregon Electric Railway, view looking north ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. General view of Oregon Electric Railway, view looking north at Hedges Creek trestle. - Oregon Electric Railroad, Hedges Creek Trestle, Garden Home to Wilsonville Segment, Milepost 38.7, Garden Home, Washington County, OR

15. Foreground; broken gear from headhouse of electric powered Marine ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

15. Foreground; broken gear from headhouse of electric powered Marine Railway #3; cradle for Marine Railway #3 in background. - Thames Tow Boat Company, Foot of Farnsworth Street, New London, New London County, CT

Ultrasonic detection of plate cracks in railway wheels

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-07-31

The results of experimental efforts established the feasibility of the detection of railway wheel plate cracks by an ultrasonic pulse echo testing technique from the tread surface. Feasibility and test sensitivities were established using artificial ...

39. TUNNEL BORE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. VIEW SHOWS LIGHT CONSTRUCTION RAILWAY ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

39. TUNNEL BORE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. VIEW SHOWS LIGHT CONSTRUCTION RAILWAY FOR HAULING MUCK AND SPOIL - Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, Tunnel, Two miles east of Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Springdale, Washington County, UT

Mechanochemical cell biology.

PubMed

Cross, R A; McAinsh, A D; Straube, A

2011-12-01

Eukaryotic systems self-organise by using molecular railways to shuttle specific sets of molecular components to specific locations. In this way, cells are enabled to become larger, more complex and more varied, subtle and effective in their activities. Because of the fundamental importance of molecular railways in eukaryotic systems, understanding how these railways work is an important research goal. Mechanochemical cell biology is a newly circumscribed subject area that concerns itself with the molecular and cell biological mechanisms of motorised directional transport in living systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A semi-empirical model for the prediction of fouling in railway ballast using GPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchini Ciampoli, Luca; Tosti, Fabio; Benedetto, Andrea; Alani, Amir M.; Loizos, Andreas; D'Amico, Fabrizio; Calvi, Alessandro

2016-04-01

The first step in the planning for a renewal of a railway network consists in gathering information, as effectively as possible, about the state of the railway tracks. Nowadays, this activity is mostly carried out by digging trenches at regular intervals along the whole network, to evaluate both geometrical and geotechnical properties of the railway track bed. This involves issues, mainly concerning the invasiveness of the operations, the impacts on the rail traffic, the high costs, and the low levels of significance concerning such discrete data set. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can represent a useful technique for overstepping these issues, as it can be directly mounted onto a train crossing the railway, and collect continuous information along the network. This study is aimed at defining an empirical model for the prediction of fouling in railway ballast, by using GPR. With this purpose, a thorough laboratory campaign was implemented within the facilities of Roma Tre University. In more details, a 1.47 m long × 1.47 m wide × 0.48 m height plexiglass framework, accounting for the domain of investigation, was laid over a perfect electric conductor, and filled up with several configuration of railway ballast and fouling material (clayey sand), thereby representing different levels of fouling. Then, the set of fouling configurations was surveyed with several GPR systems. In particular, a ground-coupled multi-channel radar (600 MHz and 1600 MHz center frequency antennas) and three air-launched radar systems (1000 MHz and 2000 MHz center frequency antennas) were employed for surveying the materials. By observing the results both in terms of time and frequency domains, interesting insights are highlighted and an empirical model, relating in particular the shape of the frequency spectrum of the signal and the percentage of fouling characterizing the surveyed material, is finally proposed. Acknowledgement The Authors thank COST, for funding the Action TU1208 "Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar."

Efficiency measures and output specification : the case of European railways

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-12-01

This study analyzes the sensitivity of the efficiency indicators of a sample of European railway companies to different alternatives in output specification. The results vary according to the specification selected. Investigating the causes of these ...

Railway/highway at-grade crossing management : an overview.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

This report draws on data from around the United States to describe the features of a successful : railway/highway at-grade crossing management program; it emphasizes the highway/trackbed structures : and crossing surfaces. Developing a structurally ...

Quantitative sensing of bridges, railways, and tunnels with autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-05-04

Managing a growing population of deteriorated transportation infrastructure : systems (i.e. bridges, railways, tunnels) is one of biggest challenges faced by the nation. : Traditional inspection and monitoring techniques (e.g., visual inspection, mec...

Seismic impact of the railway on the geotechnical constructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolárik, Martin; Pinka, Miroslav

2017-09-01

Nowadays, the focus on more ecological means of material and persons transport is still higher. Big loads can be transported on railways more effectively and with lower environment impact than on roads. The geotechnical structures are inherent parts of railway infrastructure, such as embankments, sides of notches and, of course, tunnels, foundation constructions of buildings or pillars of bridges and the others geotechnical constructions (e.g. retaining walls, culverts, transition area of bridges). By train pass, vibrations are caused and these vibrations are relayed to the soil. These vibrations can make adverse impact to surrounding objects and to technologies placed in. This so far uncared-for influence gets into the foreground by current trend of everyday life technical equipment increasing. The article introduces different kinds of geotechnical structures and the influence of by-passing railway transport on their constructions and surroundings. The data are evaluated in the amplitude and frequency domain.

Influence of Surface Abrasion on Creep and Shrinkage of Railway Prestressed Concrete Sleepers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dan; Ngamkhanong, Chayut; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat

2017-10-01

Ballasted railway track is very suitable for heavy-rail networks because of its many superior advantages in design, construction, short- and long-term maintenance, sustainability, and life-cycle cost. The sleeper, which supports rail and distributes loads from rail to ballast, is a very important component of rail track system. Prestressed concrete is very popular used in manufacturing sleepers. Therefore, improved knowledge about design techniques for prestressed concrete (PC) sleepers has been developed. However, the ballast angularity causes differential abrasions on the soffit or bottom surface of sleepers. Furthermore, in sharp curves and rapid gradient change, longitudinal and lateral dynamics of rails increase the likelihood of abrasions in concrete sleepers. This paper presents a comparative investigation using a variety of methods to evaluate creep and shrinkage effects in railway prestressed concrete sleepers. The outcome of this study will improve the material design, which is very critical to the durability of railway track components.

Method and apparatus for optimizing a train trip using signal information

DOEpatents

Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair; Daum, Wolfgang; Otsubo, Tom; Hershey, John Erik; Hess, Gerald James

2014-06-10

A system is provided for operating a railway network including a first railway vehicle during a trip along track segments. The system includes a first element for determining travel parameters of the first railway vehicle, a second element for determining travel parameters of a second railway vehicle relative to the track segments to be traversed by the first vehicle during the trip, a processor for receiving information from the first and the second elements and for determining a relationship between occupation of a track segment by the second vehicle and later occupation of the same track segment by the first vehicle and an algorithm embodied within the processor having access to the information to create a trip plan that determines a speed trajectory for the first vehicle. The speed trajectory is responsive to the relationship and further in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the first vehicle.

Robust optimization model and algorithm for railway freight center location problem in uncertain environment.

PubMed

Liu, Xing-Cai; He, Shi-Wei; Song, Rui; Sun, Yang; Li, Hao-Dong

2014-01-01

Railway freight center location problem is an important issue in railway freight transport programming. This paper focuses on the railway freight center location problem in uncertain environment. Seeing that the expected value model ignores the negative influence of disadvantageous scenarios, a robust optimization model was proposed. The robust optimization model takes expected cost and deviation value of the scenarios as the objective. A cloud adaptive clonal selection algorithm (C-ACSA) was presented. It combines adaptive clonal selection algorithm with Cloud Model which can improve the convergence rate. Design of the code and progress of the algorithm were proposed. Result of the example demonstrates the model and algorithm are effective. Compared with the expected value cases, the amount of disadvantageous scenarios in robust model reduces from 163 to 21, which prove the result of robust model is more reliable.

Wheel slide protection control using a command map and Smith predictor for the pneumatic brake system of a railway vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Nam-Jin; Kang, Chul-Goo

2016-10-01

In railway vehicles, excessive sliding or wheel locking can occur while braking because of a temporarily degraded adhesion between the wheel and the rail caused by the contaminated or wet surface of the rail. It can damage the wheel tread and affect the performance of the brake system and the safety of the railway vehicle. To safeguard the wheelset from these phenomena, almost all railway vehicles are equipped with wheel slide protection (WSP) systems. In this study, a new WSP algorithm is proposed. The features of the proposed algorithm are the use of the target sliding speed, the determination of a command for WSP valves using command maps, and compensation for the time delay in pneumatic brake systems using the Smith predictor. The proposed WSP algorithm was verified using experiments with a hardware-in-the-loop simulation system including the hardware of the pneumatic brake system.

Acoustic energy propagation around railways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cizkova, Petra

2017-09-01

The article deals with the issues of acoustic energy propagation around railways. The research subject was noise emission spreading into the surroundings during the passage of trains over a directly travelled steel bridge construction. Noise emissions were measured using direct measurements in the field. The measurements were performed in two measurement profiles. The noise exposures A LAE measured near the steel bridge construction were compared against the noise exposures A LAE captured on an open track. From the difference of these data, the noise level of the steel bridge structure was determined. Part of the research was to evaluate the effect of the reconstruction of the railway track superstructure on the acoustic situation in the given section of the railway track. The article describes the methodology of measurements, including the processing and evaluation of measured data. The article points out the noise levels of the steel bridge construction and assesses changes in the acoustic situation after the reconstruction.

The impact of personality on driving safety among Chinese high-speed railway drivers.

PubMed

Guo, Ming; Wei, Wei; Liao, Ganli; Chu, Fulei

2016-07-01

This study explored the impact of personality traits on driving safety in high-speed railway drivers. A sample of high-speed railway drivers in Beijing (N=214) completed a questionnaire, including information on personality traits and background variables. The NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) was administered to characterize participants based on five personality traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness to Experience, and Conscientiousness. The survey data were combined with naturalistic data of accident involvement and risky driving behavior in China. Poisson regression results show that drivers with high Conscientiousness and Extraversion caused fewer accidents. Higher Conscientiousness and lower Agreeableness were related to less frequent risky driving behavior. Education level and age negatively moderated the relation between certain personality traits and driving safety. The findings suggest that personality traits should be considered when selecting and training high-speed railway drivers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on the ultrasonic inspection method using the full matrix capture for the in service railway wheel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peng, Jianping; Wang, Li; Zhang, Yu

The quality of wheel is especially important for the safety of high speed railway. In this paper, a new ultrasonic array inspection method, the Full Matrix Capture (FMC) has been studied and applied to the high speed railway wheel inspection, especially in the wheel web from the tread. Firstly, the principle of FMC and TFM algorithm is discussed, and then the new optimization is applied to the standard FMC; Secondly the fundamentals of optimization is described in detail and the performance is analyzed. Finally, the experiment has been built with a standard phased array block and railway wheel, and thenmore » the testing results are discussed and analyzed. It is demonstrated that this change for the ultrasonic data acquisition and image reconstruction has higher efficiency and lower cost comparing to the FMC's procedure.« less

a Method for the Positioning and Orientation of Rail-Bound Vehicles in Gnss-Free Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, R.; King, B. A.; Chen, W.

2016-06-01

Mobile Mapping System (MMS) are increasingly applied for spatial data collection to support different fields because of their efficiencies and the levels of detail they can provide. The Position and Orientation System (POS), which is conventionally employed for locating and orienting MMS, allows direct georeferencing of spatial data in real-time. Since the performance of a POS depends on both the Inertial Navigation System (INS) and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), poor GNSS conditions, such as in long tunnels and underground, introduce the necessity for post-processing. In above-ground railways, mobile mapping technology is employed with high performance sensors for finite usage, which has considerable potential for enhancing railway safety and management in real-time. In contrast, underground railways present a challenge for a conventional POS thus alternative configurations are necessary to maintain data accuracy and alleviate the need for post-processing. This paper introduces a method of rail-bound navigation to replace the role of GNSS for railway applications. The proposed method integrates INS and track alignment data for environment-independent navigation and reduces the demand of post-processing. The principle of rail-bound navigation is presented and its performance is verified by an experiment using a consumer-grade Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and a small-scale railway model. The method produced a substantial improvement in position and orientation for a poorly initialised system in centimetre positional accuracy. The potential improvements indicated by, and limitations of rail-bound navigation are also considered for further development in existing railway systems.

Hydrologic Analysis of Ungauged Catchments For The Supply of Water For Irrigation On Railway Embankment Batters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyasi-Agyei, Y.; Nissen, D.

Water has been identified as a key component to the success of grass establishment on railway embankment batters (side slope) within Central Queensland, Australia, to control erosion. However, the region under study being semi-arid experiences less than 600 mm average annual rainfall occurring on about 60 days of the year. Culverts and bridges are integral part of railway embankments. They are used to cross water courses, be it an ephemeral creek or just a surface runoff path. Surface runoff through an ungauged railway embankment culvert is diverted to a temporary excavated pond located at the downstream side of the hydraulic structure. The temporary excavated pond water is used to feed an automated drip irrigation system, with solar as a source of energy to drive a pump. Railway embankment batter erosion remediation is timed in the wet season when irrigation is used to supplement natural rainfall. Hydrologic analysis of ungauged catchments for sizing the temporary excavated pond is presented. It is based on scenarios of runoff coefficient and curve number, and mass curve (Rippl diagram). Three years of continuous rainfall data (1997/1998 -1999/2000) were used to design a pond. The performance of the designed pond was evaluated in a field experiment during the next wet season (2000/2001). It supplied adequate water for irrigation as predicted by the hydrologic analysis during the grass establishment. This helped to achieve 100% grass cover on the railway embankment batter within 12 weeks. The proposed irrigation system has been demonstrated t o be feasible and cost effective.

49 CFR 174.5 - Carrier's materials and supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... requirements of this subchapter do not apply to railway torpedoes or fusees when carried in engines or rail cars. Railway torpedoes must be in closed metal boxes when not in use. [Amdt. 174-26B, 41 FR 57071, Dec...

49 CFR 174.5 - Carrier's materials and supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... requirements of this subchapter do not apply to railway torpedoes or fusees when carried in engines or rail cars. Railway torpedoes must be in closed metal boxes when not in use. [Amdt. 174-26B, 41 FR 57071, Dec...

49 CFR 174.5 - Carrier's materials and supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... requirements of this subchapter do not apply to railway torpedoes or fusees when carried in engines or rail cars. Railway torpedoes must be in closed metal boxes when not in use. [Amdt. 174-26B, 41 FR 57071, Dec...

49 CFR 174.5 - Carrier's materials and supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... requirements of this subchapter do not apply to railway torpedoes or fusees when carried in engines or rail cars. Railway torpedoes must be in closed metal boxes when not in use. [Amdt. 174-26B, 41 FR 57071, Dec...

49 CFR 174.5 - Carrier's materials and supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... requirements of this subchapter do not apply to railway torpedoes or fusees when carried in engines or rail cars. Railway torpedoes must be in closed metal boxes when not in use. [Amdt. 174-26B, 41 FR 57071, Dec...

Railway Transportation Engineering (CEE 408) Course updates and online conversion.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-20

The new order of lectures provides students with a sound introduction to the main concepts behind efficiency and economic railway operations. This naturally follows into the design of railcars for safe, efficient and economical operations. With railc...

Evaluation of Silicone Fluid for Replacement of PCB Coolants in Railway Industry

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-06-01

Electrical performance evaluations were made on a railway transformer which was retrofilled with 50 cs polydimethylsiloxane. Comparisons of the data from the PCB-filled transformer retrofilled with the silicone oil indicated no reduction in operating...

Railway cognitive radio to enhance safety, security, and performance of positive train control.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

Robust and interoperable wireless communications are vital to Positive Train Control (PTC). The railway industry has started adopting software-defined radios (SDRs) for packet-data transmission. SDR systems realize previously fixed components as reco...

58. Detail of steam pistons and gears for driving winches ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

58. Detail of steam pistons and gears for driving winches to Marine Railways #1 and #2, Marine Railway Headhouse, ground floor, looking north. - Thames Tow Boat Company, Foot of Farnsworth Street, New London, New London County, CT

Effect of enhanced trackbed support on railway/highway at-grade crossing performance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

This report documents the long-term performance of 89 railway/highway at-grade crossings in : Kentucky and adjacent states that contain asphalt underlayment underneath the ballast. Asphalt : underlayment increases load carrying capacity for trains an...

76 FR 75601 - Lake State Railway Company-Intra-Corporate Family Merger Exemption-Saginaw Bay Southern Railway...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-02

... the Bay City-Gaylord line) to Alpena, and (c) Alabaster Junction (near Tawas City on the Pinconning-Alpena line) to Alabaster. SBS owns or operates over approximately 74 miles of rail line extending...

78 FR 2482 - Carload Express, Inc.-Continuance in Control Exemption-Ohio Terminal Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-11

... exemption in Ohio Terminal Railway Company--Operation Exemption-- Hannibal Real Estate, LLC, Docket No. FD..., from milepost 60.5 at or near Powhatan Point, to milepost 72.7 at or near Hannibal, in Monroe County...

10. Photocopy of photograph (original print from Southern Pacific Transportation ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. Photocopy of photograph (original print from Southern Pacific Transportation Company) ca. 1916, photographer unknown VIEW OF ORIGINAL PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY LYNWOOD SHELTER SHED - Lynwood Pacific Electric Railway Depot, 11453 Long Beach Boulevard, Lynwood, Los Angeles County, CA

26. Detail showing piston which is one of two steam ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

26. Detail showing piston which is one of two steam powered drive units for winches for Marine Railways #1. and #2, Marine Railway Headhouse. - Thames Tow Boat Company, Foot of Farnsworth Street, New London, New London County, CT

Field validation of polyurethane technology in remediating rail substructure and enhancing rail freight capacity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

Railways are an important component of a multi-modal freight transport network. The structural integrity of rail substructure and problematic railway elements can be compromised leading to track instability and ultimately, train derailments. Because ...

Influence of the contact roughness upon railway monobloc wheel acoustic behaviour on virtual prototyping approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todorov, George; Kamberov, Konstantin; Kralov, Ivan; Ignatov, Ignat

2017-12-01

In this study the virtual prototyping is used for evaluation the influence of the contact roughness upon the acoustic behaviour evaluation of railway monobloc wheel. The proposed procedure covers requirements of the European Standard EN 13979-1 "Wheels and bogies - Monobloc wheels". The main advantage of the acoustic assessment based on the virtual engineering technics - absence of the expensive and time consuming physical tests, is sown. The real industrial-project example is presented and comparison of the numerical and experimental results is used for acoustic behaviour assessment and approval of railway monobloc wheel design.

Adaptive neuro fuzzy system for modelling and prediction of distance pantograph catenary in railway transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panoiu, M.; Panoiu, C.; Lihaciu, I. L.

2018-01-01

This research presents an adaptive neuro-fuzzy system which is used in the prediction of the distance between the pantograph and contact line of the electrical locomotives used in railway transportation. In railway transportation any incident that occurs in the electrical system can have major negative effects: traffic interrupts, equipment destroying. Therefore, a prediction as good as possible of such situations is very useful. In the paper was analyzing the possibility of modeling and prediction the variation of the distance between the pantograph and the contact line using intelligent techniques

[Hygienic optimization of the use of chemical protective means on railway transport].

PubMed

Kaptsov, V A; Pankova, V B; Elizarov, B B; Mezentsev, A P; Komleva, E A

2004-01-01

The paper presents data characterizing the working conditions of railway workers. It shows that there is the greatest levels of noise and vibration, the burden and intensity of work. The worst working conditions are noted in energy supply, car, locomotive services and track facilities. The working conditions determine a significant industrial risk of railway workers since the prevention of health abnormalities by using chemical protective means is a topical problem. The priority lines of hygienic rationale for optimization the choice and use of chemical protective means for workers exposed to occupational hazards are determined.

The Development and Implementation of Noise Control Measures on AN Urban Railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzgerald, B. M.

1996-05-01

This paper describes the development and implementation of noise control measures by Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London, to meet obligations set out in its Noise and Vibration Policy, adherence to which is set by an Act of the U. K. Parliament. Noise levels from the operational railway exceeded targets given in the policy at two noise-sensitive urban residential sites. Following diagnosis by noise survey of the problems specific to each site and by noise reduction predictions, acoustic absorbent screens were installed which, it was subsequently demonstrated, succeeded in providing the required level of noise reduction. These schemes needed to accommodate the requirements of the railway for maintenance (leading to the barriers having to be fully demountable), safe trackside walking routes and easy passenger evacuation from trains. During construction, liaison was developed with the local authority for the control of environmental pollution (primarily noise) and hours of working (which had to suit railway possessions) and good relations were fostered with local residents through regular contact. Fulfilment of project objectives was demonstrated by a programme of post-installation noise measurements. The paper concludes with an evaluation of noise mitigation performance achieved together with a suggested alternative strategy for addressing the noise problem from a system-wide perspective.

Fatigue evaluation for Tsing Ma Bridge using structural health monitoring data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Hung-tin Tommy; Ko, Jan Ming; Li, Zhao-Xia

2001-08-01

Fatigue assessment for the Tsing Ma Bridge (TMB) are presented based on the British standard BS5400 and the real-time structural health monitoring data under railway loading. TMB, as an essential portion of transport network for the Hong Kong airport, is the longest suspension bridge in the world carrying both highway and railway traffic. The bridge design has been mainly based on BS5400. A structural health monitoring system - Wind and Structural Health Monitoring System (WASHMS) for TMB has been operated since the bridge commissioning in May 1997. In order to assess the fatigue behavior of TMB under railway loading, strain gauges were installed on the bridge deck to measure the strain-time histories as soon as the bridge is loaded by a standard railway loading due to the service of an actual train. The strain-time history data at the critical members are then used to determine the stress spectrum, of which the rainflow method recommended for railway bridges by BS5400 is applied to count cycles of stress range. Miner's law is employed to evaluate fatigue damage and remaining service life of the bridge. The evaluated results of fatigue damage and remaining service life would help us to well understand about the fatigue design of the bridge and status in fatigue accumulation.

Railway bogie vibration analysis by mathematical simulation model and a scaled four-wheel railway bogie set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visayataksin, Noppharat; Sooklamai, Manon

2018-01-01

The bogie is the part that connects and transfers all the load from the vehicle body onto the railway track; interestingly the interaction between wheels and rails is the critical point for derailment of the rail vehicles. However, observing or experimenting with real bogies on rail vehicles is impossible due to the operational rules and safety concerns. Therefore, this research aimed to develop a vibration analysis set for a four-wheel railway bogie by constructing a four-wheel bogie with scale of 1:4.5. The bogie structures, including wheels and axles, were made from an aluminium alloy, equipped with springs and dampers. The bogie was driven by an electric motor using 4 round wheels instead of 2 straight rails, with linear velocity between 0 to 11.22 m/s. The data collected from the vibration analysis set was compared to the mathematical simulation model to investigate the vibration behavior of the bogie, especially the hunting motion. The results showed that vibration behavior from a scaled four-wheel railway bogie set significantly agreed with the mathematical simulation model in terms of displacement and hunting frequency. The critical speed of the wheelset was found by executing the mathematical simulation model at 13 m/s.

Damage Detection in Railway Prestressed Concrete Sleepers using Acoustic Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, A.; Kaewunruen, S.; Janeliukstis, R.; Papaelias, M.

2017-10-01

Prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties) are safety-critical elements in railway tracks that distribute the wheel loads from the rails to the track support system. Over a period of time, the concrete sleepers age and deteriorate in addition to experiencing various types of static and dynamic loading conditions, which are attributable to train operations. In many cases, structural cracks can develop within the sleepers due to high intensity impact loads or due to poor track maintenance. Often, cracks of sleepers develop and present at the midspan due to excessive negative bending. These cracks can cause broken sleepers and sometimes called ‘center bound’ problem in railway lines. This paper is the world first to present an application of non-destructive acoustic emission technology for damage detection in railway concrete sleepers. It presents experimental investigations in order to detect center-bound cracks in railway prestressed concrete sleepers. Experimental laboratory testing involves three-point bending tests of four concrete sleepers. Three-point bending tests correspond to a real failure mode, when the loads are not transferred uniformly to the ballast support. It is observed that AE sensing provides an accurate means for detecting the location and magnitude of cracks in sleepers. Sensor location criticality is also highlighted in the paper to demonstrate the reliability-based damage detection of the sleepers.

Derailment-based Fault Tree Analysis on Risk Management of Railway Turnout Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dindar, Serdar; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat; An, Min; Gigante-Barrera, Ángel

2017-10-01

Railway turnouts are fundamental mechanical infrastructures, which allow a rolling stock to divert one direction to another. As those are of a large number of engineering subsystems, e.g. track, signalling, earthworks, these particular sub-systems are expected to induce high potential through various kind of failure mechanisms. This could be a cause of any catastrophic event. A derailment, one of undesirable events in railway operation, often results, albeit rare occurs, in damaging to rolling stock, railway infrastructure and disrupt service, and has the potential to cause casualties and even loss of lives. As a result, it is quite significant that a well-designed risk analysis is performed to create awareness of hazards and to identify what parts of the systems may be at risk. This study will focus on all types of environment based failures as a result of numerous contributing factors noted officially as accident reports. This risk analysis is designed to help industry to minimise the occurrence of accidents at railway turnouts. The methodology of the study relies on accurate assessment of derailment likelihood, and is based on statistical multiple factors-integrated accident rate analysis. The study is prepared in the way of establishing product risks and faults, and showing the impact of potential process by Boolean algebra.

Physiological effects of railway vibration and noise on sleep

PubMed Central

Smith, Michael G.; Croy, Ilona; Ögren, Mikael; Hammar, Oscar; Lindberg, Eva; Persson Waye, Kerstin

2017-01-01

This paper evaluates the relative contribution of vibration and noise from railway on physiological sleep outcomes. Vibration from railway freight often accompanies airborne noise, yet is almost totally absent in the existing literature. In an experimental investigation, 23 participants, each sleeping for six nights in the laboratory, were exposed to 36 simulated railway freight pass-bys per night with vibration alone (aWd,max = 0.0204 ms−2), noise alone (LAF,max = 49.8 dB), or both vibration and noise simultaneously. A fourth exposure night involved 52 pass-bys with concurrent vibration and noise. Sleep was measured with polysomnography. Cardiac activity was measured with electrocardiography. The probability of cortical arousals or awakenings was greater following all exposures, including vibration alone, than spontaneous reaction probability (p < 0.05). The effects of vibration exposure and noise exposure on changes of sleep stage and arousals were directly additive. Vibration and noise exposure both induced heart rate acceleration above spontaneously expected fluctuations at baseline. The results indicate that vibration and noise are processed in the brain separately yet in parallel, with both contributing towards the likelihood of sleep disruption. The findings show that vibration is of importance when considering the impact of railway freight on sleep. PMID:28599531

The effects of long-term exposure to railway and road traffic noise on subjective sleep disturbance.

PubMed

Hong, Jiyoung; Kim, Jaehwan; Lim, Changwoo; Kim, Kyutae; Lee, Soogab

2010-11-01

The exposure-response relationships between subjective annoyance with sleep disturbance from railway trains and road traffic noise were established from an extensive social survey by CENVR (Center for Environmental Noise and Vibration Research) in Korea. The objectives of this research are to determine the long-term effects of noise on sleep and to compare the exposure-response relationships from different noise sources with those from other studies and to elucidate the effects of some modifying factors on subjective responses to noise. From an investigation of the percentage of a highly sleep-disturbed population (%HSD) in response to railway and road traffic noise, it was found that sleep is affected more by railway noise than by road traffic noise. The effects of non-acoustical factors on the responses were examined and sensitivity was shown to be a significant modifying factor, as it pertains to subjective sleep disturbance. A comparison of the response curves from an analysis of pooled data from predominantly European surveys by Miedema and Vos [Behav. Sleep Med. 5, 1-20 (2007)] with the response curves from this survey showed more of a subjective sleep disturbance response in this survey to railway noise, whereas there was no significant difference in terms of a response to road traffic noise.

Study on a Simple Method for Controlling the Engine Output Power of Hybrid Powered Railway Vehicles with Electric Double Layer Capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okano, Shota; Shibuya, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Keiichiro

This paper presents a simple and energy-saving method for controlling hybrid powered railway vehicles that run on rural non-electrified railway lines and have diesel engine and electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs). The aim this study is to reduce both the fuel consumption and the capacitance of EDLCs. A basic idea proposed in this paper is that EDLCs supply and absorb the kinetic energy of the vehicle and the engine output compensates supply the energy loss with the vehicle running. Thus, the energy loss is not taken into consideration while expressing the EDLC voltage reference (equation 1); energy loss is considered when the engine is in operating mode. The proposed method is examined by performing numerical simulations for various values of engine operation time, load, and grade section. The results of this study reveal the relationship between the capacitance of the EDLCs and the fuel consumption. Using this proposed control methods, excessive charging of EDLCs can be avoided. The results of this study are expected to expedite the development of energy-saving railway vehicles for the non-electrified lines. Finally, the results of this study increase the possibility of developing hybrid powered railway vehicles.

Report on the international conference : environmentally sustainable transport : is rail on track?

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-10-22

This conference "Is Rail on Track?" was organised by the OECD Environment Directorate and the International Union of Railways (UIC) and hosted by the Swedish National Railway Administration, Banverket (BV). It sought to address barriers to the implem...

17. From left to right: Marine Railway Headhouse and Offices, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. From left to right: Marine Railway Headhouse and Offices, Boiler Room, first skylight, chimney for Boiler, Blacksmith Shop, second skylight, and Pipe, Paint, and Electrical Shops. - Thames Tow Boat Company, Foot of Farnsworth Street, New London, New London County, CT

20 CFR 202.13 - Electric railways.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Electric railways. 202.13 Section 202.13 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT EMPLOYERS UNDER... conclusion reached the question will be submitted to the Interstate Commerce Commission for determination...

Capacity evaluation and infrastructure planning techniques for heterogeneous railway traffic under structured, flexible and mixed operations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-22

The objective of this study is to develop new railway capacity evaluation tools and infrastructure planning techniques to address infrastructure or operations planning challenges under different operating styles. Three main research questions will be...

40. Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, Los Angeles, California, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

40. Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, Los Angeles, California, dated July 1937. (Microfiched drawings located at the Denver Service Center, #113/41906-set of 2) IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWAGE TREATMENT AND FILTER CHAMBER. - Water Reclamation Plant, Grand Canyon, Coconino County, AZ

Processes, information, and accounting gaps in the regulation of Argentina's private railways

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-07-17

Almost a decade after Argentina began privatizing its railways, resolution of the conflicts between regulators, users, and operators continues to take longer, and to be more difficult, than expected. This paper argues that many of these conflicts are...

76 FR 31678 - San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad-Continuance in Control Exemption-Saratoga and North Creek Railway...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-01

... Hudson Railway Company, Inc, d/b/a Canadian Pacific (CP) a permanent and exclusive freight rail easement... interchange with CP between Adirondack Branch milepost 39.44 and CP's yard at Saratoga Springs located at...

Roads, railways, and childhood cancers

PubMed Central

Knox, E G

2006-01-01

Study objectives To locate geographical sources of engine exhaust emissions in Great Britain and to link them with the birth addresses of children dying from cancer. To estimate the cancer initiating roles of nearby roads and railways and to measure effective ranges. Design Birth and death addresses of all children born between 1955 and 1980 in Great Britain, and dying from leukaemia or other cancer during those years, were linked to locations of railway stations, bus stations, ferry terminals, railways, roads, canals, and rivers. Nearest distances to births and deaths were measured, and migration data relating to children who had moved house were analysed. Excesses of close to hazard birth addresses, compared with close to hazard death addresses, indicate a high prenatal or early postnatal risk of cancer initiation. Setting and subjects Child cancer birth and death addresses and their map references were extracted from an earlier inquiry. Map references of putative hazards were downloaded from the Ordnance Survey national digital map of Great Britain. These data are recorded to a precision of one metre and have ground accuracies around 20 metres. Main results Significant birth excesses were found within short distances of bus stations, railway stations, ferries, railways, and A,B class roads, with a relative risk of 2.1 within 100 m, tapering to neutral after 3.0 km. About 24% of child cancers were attributable to these joint birth proximities. Roads exerted the major effect. Conclusions Child cancer initiations are strongly determined by prenatal or early postnatal exposures to engine exhaust gases, probably through maternal inhalation and accumulation of carcinogens over many months. The main active substance is probably 1,3‐butadiene. PMID:16415262

The Prevalence of Notched Audiograms in a Cross-Sectional Study of 12,055 Railway Workers

PubMed Central

Skogstad, Marit; Johnsen, Torstein Seip; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian

2015-01-01

Objective: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most reported occupational diseases internationally. The occurrence of audiometric notches is emphasized in both American and European guidelines for the diagnosis of NIHL. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of notched audiograms among railway personnel with and without noise exposure to better assess the usefulness of such notches in the diagnosis of NIHL. Design: The most recent audiogram from 1994 to 2011 of a total of 12,055 railway workers, age 20 to 65 years, was obtained from the medical records of the occupational health service of the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The prevalences of three types of notched audiograms, Coles notch, notch index, and 4 kHz notch, were computed, in relation to age, sex, and occupational noise exposure. Results: Coles notch in either ear was found in 63% of the male railway maintenance workers, exposed to noise levels of 75 to 90 dB(A), compared with 53% of the non-noise exposed (<70 dB(A)) traffic controllers (p < 0.001). The corresponding figures for the 4 kHz notch were 31% versus 21% (p < 0.001). For the notch index, 61% of the exposed and 51% of the controls had a notched audiogram (p < 0.001). For female workers, the prevalence of audiometric notches was lower, and the differences between noise exposed and nonexposed was smaller than those in men. Increasing age led to an increased prevalence of notches. Conclusions: Audiometric notches commonly occur among both noise-exposed and those not exposed to noise in railway personnel. The usefulness of audiometric notches in the diagnosis of NIHL is therefore limited. PMID:25470371

Optimal Placement Method of RFID Readers in Industrial Rail Transport for Uneven Rail Traflc Volume Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakhmangulov, Aleksandr; Muravev, Dmitri; Mishkurov, Pavel

2016-11-01

The issue of operative data reception on location and movement of railcars is significant the constantly growing requirements of the provision of timely and safe transportation. The technical solution for efficiency improvement of data collection on rail rolling stock is the implementation of an identification system. Nowadays, there are several such systems, distinguished in working principle. In the authors' opinion, the most promising for rail transportation is the RFID technology, proposing the equipping of the railway tracks by the stationary points of data reading (RFID readers) from the onboard sensors on the railcars. However, regardless of a specific type and manufacturer of these systems, their implementation is affiliated with the significant financing costs for large, industrial, rail transport systems, owning the extensive network of special railway tracks with a large number of stations and loading areas. To reduce the investment costs for creation, the identification system of rolling stock on the special railway tracks of industrial enterprises has developed the method based on the idea of priority installation of the RFID readers on railway hauls, where rail traffic volumes are uneven in structure and power, parameters of which is difficult or impossible to predict on the basis of existing data in an information system. To select the optimal locations of RFID readers, the mathematical model of the staged installation of such readers has developed depending on the non-uniformity value of rail traffic volumes, passing through the specific railway hauls. As a result of that approach, installation of the numerous RFID readers at all station tracks and loading areas of industrial railway stations might be not necessary,which reduces the total cost of the rolling stock identification and the implementation of the method for optimal management of transportation process.

One followed by many?-Long-term effects of a celebrity suicide on the number of suicidal acts on the German railway net.

PubMed

Hegerl, Ulrich; Koburger, Nicole; Rummel-Kluge, Christine; Gravert, Christian; Walden, Martin; Mergl, Roland

2013-03-20

Following the railway suicide of Robert Enke, a famous German football goal keeper, short-term copycat effects have been found. Main aims of the present study were to analyze long-term effects of this incidence and to compare them with overall national suicide data, as well as to investigate possible "anniversary effects". For long-term effects, the number of railway suicidal acts in the two years before and after Robert Enke's suicide (10th November 2009) were compared. For anniversary effects, the corresponding 2-week-periods in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were analyzed. Incidence ratios with 95% confidence intervals were computed. Compared to the two years before Enke's suicide the incidence ratio of the number of railway suicidal acts in the 2-year-period following this event increased by 18.8% (95% confidence interval (CI)=11.0-27.1%; p<0.001). The median number of suicidal acts per day increased from 2 to 3 (p<0.001). This effect remains significant after excluding short-term 2-week effects of Enke's suicide. An anniversary effect was not present. The increase of fatal railway suicides between 2007 and 2010 (25%) was significantly different from that for the total number of suicides in Germany (6.6%) (p<0.0001). Due to missing data, analyses regarding gender were limited and regarding age not feasible. Long-term effects of Enke's suicide on railway suicidal acts in Germany in the sense of copycat behavior are probable as this increase cannot be explained by corresponding changes of the total number of suicides in Germany. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interaction between a railway track and uniformly moving tandem wheels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belotserkovskiy, P. M.

2006-12-01

Interaction among loaded wheels via railway track is studied. The vertical parametric oscillations of an infinite row of identical equally spaced wheels, bearing constant load and uniformly moving over a railway track, are calculated by means of Fourier series technique. If the distance between two consecutive wheels is big enough, then one can disregard their interaction via the railway track and consider every wheel as a single one. In this case, however, the Fourier series technique represents an appropriate computation time-saving approximation to a Fourier integral transformation technique that describes the oscillations of a single moving wheel. Two schemes are considered. In the first scheme, every wheel bears the same load. In the second one, consecutive wheels bear contrarily directed loads of the same magnitude. The second scheme leads to simpler calculations and so is recommended to model the wheel-track interaction. The railway track periodicity due to sleeper spacing is taken into account. Each period is the track segment between two adjacent sleepers. A partial differential equation with constant coefficients governs the vertical oscillations of each segment. Boundary conditions bind the oscillations of two neighbour segments and provide periodicity to the track. The shear deformation in the rail cross-section strongly influences the parametric oscillations. It also causes discontinuity of the rail centre-line slope at any point, where a concentrated transverse force is applied. Therefore, Timoshenko beam properties with respect to the topic of this paper are discussed. Interaction between a railway track and a bogie moving at moderate speed is studied. The study points to influence of the bogie frame oscillations on variation in the wheel-rail contact force over the sleeper span. The simplified bogie model considered includes only the primary suspension. A static load applied to the bogie frame centre presents the vehicle body.

A Preliminary Review of Fatigue Among Rail Staff

PubMed Central

Fan, Jialin; Smith, Andrew P.

2018-01-01

Background: Fatigue is a severe problem in the rail industry, which may jeopardize train crew's health and safety. Nonetheless, a preliminary review of all empirical evidence for train crew fatigue is still lacking. The aim of the present paper is, therefore, to provide a preliminary description of occupational fatigue in the rail industry. This paper reviews the literature with the research question examining the risk factors associated with train crew fatigue, covering both papers published in refereed journals and reports from trade organizations and regulators. It assesses the progress of research on railway fatigue, including research on the main risk factors for railway fatigue, the association between fatigue and railway incidents, and how to better manage fatigue in the railway industry. Methods: Systematic searches were performed in both science and industry databases. The searches considered studies published before August 2017. The main exclusion criterion was fatigue not being directly measured through subjective or objective methods. Results: A total of 31 studies were included in the main review. The causes of fatigue included long working hours, heavy workload, early morning or night shifts, and insufficient sleep. Poor working environment, particular job roles, and individual differences also contributed to fatigue. Conclusion: Fatigue in the rail industry includes most of the features of occupational fatigue, and it is also subject to industry-specific factors. The effect of fatigue on well-being and the fatigued population in the railway industry are still not clear. Future studies can consider associations between occupational risk factors and perceived fatigue by examining the prevalence of fatigue and identifying the potential risk factors in staff within the railway industry. PMID:29867630

Methodology for quantification of waste generated in Spanish railway construction works

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guzman Baez, Ana de; Villoria Saez, Paola; Rio Merino, Mercedes del

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two equations for C and D waste estimation in railway construction works are developed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mixed C and D waste is the most generated category during railway construction works. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tunnel construction is essential to quantify the waste generated during the works. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There is a relationship between C and D waste generated and railway functional units. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The methodology proposed can be used to obtain new constants for other areas. - Abstract: In the last years, the European Union (EU) has been focused on the reduction of construction and demolition (C and D) waste. Specifically, in 2006,more » Spain generated roughly 47 million tons of C and D waste, of which only 13.6% was recycled. This situation has lead to the drawing up of many regulations on C and D waste during the past years forcing EU countries to include new measures for waste prevention and recycling. Among these measures, the mandatory obligation to quantify the C and D waste expected to be originated during a construction project is mandated. However, limited data is available on civil engineering projects. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to improve C and D waste management in railway projects, by developing a model for C and D waste quantification. For this purpose, we develop two equations which estimate in advance the amount, both in weight and volume, of the C and D waste likely to be generated in railway construction projects, including the category of C and D waste generated for the entire project.« less

View of skylight from mezzanine of American Railway Express Building ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View of skylight from mezzanine of American Railway Express Building to interior light well on second floor. Skylight lights interior hallway leading to mezzanine rooms - Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, Railroad Terminal Post Office & Express Building, Fifth & I Streets, Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA

9. Photocopy of sketch from Elliott, Clifford A., 'Shelters and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. Photocopy of sketch from Elliott, Clifford A., 'Shelters and Stations on Pacific Electric's Interurban Lines', Electric Railway Journal, V. 53, No. 15, April 12, 1919, p. 733 - Lynwood Pacific Electric Railway Depot, 11453 Long Beach Boulevard, Lynwood, Los Angeles County, CA

77 FR 47922 - BNSF Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Northern Lines Railway, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-10

... includes: (a) Track 204 between 33rd Avenue North and Rice Junction, Minn.; and (b) Track 203 between milepost 0.0, at Rice Junction, and milepost 5.71, just west of the Highway I-94 overpass (the Lines). \\1...

Highway-railway at-grade crossing structures : optimum design/installation practices and management program : an overview.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-05-01

Replacing and rehabilitating highway-railway at-grade crossings represent major track maintenance expenses for the U.S. highway governmental agencies and railroad industry. The ideal crossing system is one that will maintain a smooth surface and stab...

Multi-scale Fatigue Damage Life Assessment of Railroad Wheels

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-01

This study focused on the presence of a crack in the railway wheels subsurface and how it affects the wheels fatigue life. A 3-D FE-model was constructed to simulate the stress/strain fields that take place under the rolling contact of railway ...

Photocopy of photograph (from NBPPNSY) photographer unknown, 1988 view east ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Photocopy of photograph (from NBP-PNSY) photographer unknown, 1988 view east of marine railway (Haer no. Pa-387-W). The railway was being dismantled at the time this photograph was taken. - Naval Base Philadelphia-Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, League Island, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

[Sanitary epidemiologic safety and technical regulations on railway transport].

PubMed

Leksin, A G

2009-01-01

The author necessitated that requirements on sanitary and epidemiologic safety of life support systems for engine driver cabin (microclimate maintainance system, protection from vibration and noise, illumination, workplace ergonomics, etc) should be included into technical regulations for railway vehicles, both newly constructed and modernized.

Experimental analysis of a high-speed railway bridge under Thalys trains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, H.; De Roeck, G.; Zhang, N.; Maeck, J.

2003-11-01

In this paper dynamic experiments on the Antoing Bridge located on the high-speed railway line between Paris and Brussels are reported. The experiments were co-operatively carried out by the Northern Jiaotong University from China, the Catholic University of Leuven, the Free University of Brussels and the Belgium Railway Company NMBS-SNCB from Belgium. The bridge is composed of multi-span simply supported PC girders with spans of 50 m and U-shaped sections. The loads are the high-speed Thalys trains with articulated vehicles. The speeds of the Thalys trains were between 265 and 310 km/h. In the experiments, the dynamic responses of the bridge such as the deflections, the accelerations and the strains that were measured by a laser velocity displacement transducer accelerometers and strain gauges, respectively. Many useful results have been obtained from the analysis of the recorded data. The tests and the measured results can be a reference for the study and the design of high-speed railway bridges.

Comparison of Annoyance from Railway Noise and Railway Vibration.

PubMed

Ögren, Mikael; Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, Anita; Smith, Michael; Gustavsson, Sara; Persson Waye, Kerstin

2017-07-19

The aim of this study is to compare vibration exposure to noise exposure from railway traffic in terms of equal annoyance, i.e., to determine when a certain noise level is equally annoying as a corresponding vibration velocity. Based on questionnaire data from the Train Vibration and Noise Effects (TVANE) research project from residential areas exposed to railway noise and vibration, the dose response relationship for annoyance was estimated. By comparing the relationships between exposure and annoyance for areas both with and without significant vibration exposure, the noise levels and vibration velocities that had an equal probability of causing annoyance was determined using logistic regression. The comparison gives a continuous mapping between vibration velocity in the ground and a corresponding noise level at the facade that are equally annoying. For equivalent noise level at the facade compared to maximum weighted vibration velocity in the ground the probability of annoyance is approximately 20% for 59 dB or 0.48 mm/s, and about 40% for 63 dB or 0.98 mm/s.

GSM-Railway as part of the European Rail Traffic Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bibac, Ionut

2007-05-01

GSM-R is a vital component inside the ERTMS which is also an essential element of European Community rail projects; investment in equipping and the rolling stock with ERTMS could reach 5 billion eurodollars in the period 2007-2016. GSM-R is the result of over ten years of collaboration between the various European railway companies, the railway communication industry and the different standardization bodies. GSM-R provides a secure platform for voice and data communication between the operational staff of the railway companies including drivers, dispatchers, shunting team members, train engineers, and station controllers. It delivers advanced features such as group calls, voice broadcast, location based connections, and call pre-emption in case of an emergency, which significantly improves communication, collaboration, and security management across operational staff members. Taking into account the above mentioned, the paper will permit to audience to discover the GSM-R network architecture, services and applications proposed by this technology together with the future development and market situation due to the market liberalization.

Modeling the influence of short wavelength defects in a railway track on the dynamic behavior of the Non-Suspended Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannakos, Konstantinos

2016-02-01

The motion of a railway vehicle on the rail running table, that is the area of the rail-head where the wheel is rolling, is a forced oscillation with a forcing excitation (track defects), and damping expressed by a random function. In the case of the Non-Suspended Masses the forces resulting from the excitation of short wavelength are large and have great effect on the rolling of the wheel. The track, is simulated as an elastic means with damping. In this paper the second order differential equation is presented for the case of a railway vehicle rolling on a railway track and its solution is presented for the Non-Suspended Masses of the vehicle. Furthermore the influence of the depth of the defect is examined and a sensitivity analysis of the influence of the Non-Suspended Masses and the track defects on the Acting loads is performed.

Study of Method for Designing the Power and the Capacitance of Fuel Cells and Electric Double-Layer Capacitors of Hybrid Railway Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takizawa, Kenji; Kondo, Keiichiro

A hybrid railway traction system with fuel cells (FCs) and electric double layer-capacitors (EDLCs) is discussed in this paper. This system can save FC costs and absorb the regenerative energy. A method for designing FCs and EDLCs on the basis of the output power and capacitance, respectively, has not been reported, even though their design is one of the most important technical issues encountered in the design of hybrid railway vehicles. Such design method is presented along with a train load profile and an energy management strategy. The design results obtained using the proposed method are verified by performing numerical simulations of a running train. These results reveal that the proposed method for designing the EDLCs and FCs on the basis of the capacitance and power, respectively, and by using a method for controlling the EDLC voltage is sufficiently effective in designing efficient EDLCs and FCs of hybrid railway traction systems.

A Fuzzy-Based Control Method for Smoothing Power Fluctuations in Substations along High-Speed Railways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugio, Tetsuya; Yamamoto, Masayoshi; Funabiki, Shigeyuki

The use of an SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage) for smoothing power fluctuations in a railway substation has been discussed. This paper proposes a smoothing control method based on fuzzy reasoning for reducing the SMES capacity at substations along high-speed railways. The proposed smoothing control method comprises three countermeasures for reduction of the SMES capacity. The first countermeasure involves modification of rule 1 for smoothing out the fluctuating electric power to its average value. The other countermeasures involve the modification of the central value of the stored energy control in the SMES and revision of the membership function in rule 2 for reduction of the SMES capacity. The SMES capacity in the proposed smoothing control method is reduced by 49.5% when compared to that in the nonrevised control method. It is confirmed by computer simulations that the proposed control method is suitable for smoothing out power fluctuations in substations along high-speed railways and for reducing the SMES capacity.

Compaction of Railway Ballast During Tamping Process: a Parametric Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saussine, G.; Azéma, E.; Perales, R.; Radjaï, F.

2009-06-01

We characterize an industrial process currently used on railway track: tamping operation. This process is employed in order to restore the geometry of railway track distorted by train traffics. The main goal is to compact the granular material under the sleepers supporting the railroad squeezing and vibrations. We focus on different phases of the tamping process, namely the penetration of tamping tines into the ballast and squeezing of ballast between tines. Our numerical simulations of three-dimensional discrete polyhedral grains allow us to investigate the influence of vibration frequency on the compaction level at the end of the process, the role of velocity of tamping tines during penetration phase and the mechanism of compaction of a confined granular layer under horizontal vibrations. For each tamping phase, an optimal frequency is proposed, and an analysis of the full process on the samples representing a portion of the railway track enables us to access the influence of various parameters required to optimize the process.

Seismic Retrofitting of an Existing Steel Railway Bridge by Fluid Viscous Dampers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangopadhyay, Avijit; Ghosh, Aparna Dey

2016-09-01

There are over a lakh of bridges in the Indian Railways, many of which have become seismically deficient, either through aging or due to inadequate seismic design considerations. The extensive damage of bridges all over the world in recent earthquakes has propelled significant advancement in earthquake protection and retrofitting of bridges. Amongst various passive control systems that are reliable as well as cost-effective, Fluid Viscous Dampers (FVDs) are proving to be successful in bridge vibration control. Orificed FVDs, commercially available as Taylor Devices, have already been successfully installed in several bridges worldwide. However, there has been no such application or study related to Indian railway bridges. In this paper, an existing thirty years' old railway bridge in Jharkhand, India, has been analyzed in SAP2000v14 considering reduced stiffness and found deficient when subjected to spectrum-compatible accelerograms. Subsequent retrofitting of the bridge superstructure with FVDs has been carried out and the results indicate substantial reductions in the responses of the bridge deck.

[Mental health status in railway female workers and its occupational influencing factors].

PubMed

Ji, F L; Liu, Z M; Liu, Z S; Zou, J F; Yu, W L; Li, H M; Li, J; Kong, L M; Jiang, Q

2018-02-20

Objective: To investigate the mental health status of railway female workers and related influencing factors, and to provide a scientific strategy for labor protection regulations in railway female workers. Methods: Cluster sampling was used to select 5033 female workers from Jinan, Nanning, Qinghai-Tibet, and Wuhan railway systems in China from January to August, 2016. A uniform reproductive health questionnaire, as well as the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) , was used to investigate their general information (age, marital status, education level, and family income) , work type (day shift, night shift, or work on shift) , work position, and the presence or absence of exposure to occupational hazardous factors. The score on each factor of SCL-90 and the positive rate of mental health status were calculated. Results: The positive rate of mental health status was 10.6% in railway female workers. The workers exposed to occupational hazardous factors had a significantly higher positive rate of mental health status than those not exposed to occupational hazardous factors (14.20% vs 8.02%, P <0.01) . There were significant differences in the positive rate of mental health status between workers with different ages, marital status, education levels, histories of abortion, or annual family income levels ( P <0.01) . The scores of somatization (1.54±0.62) and horror (1.28±0.47) in SCL-90 were significantly higher than the Chinese adult norm ( P <0.01) . The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that exposure to occupational hazardous factors, night shift, overwork, and carrying heavy objects were associated with mental health problems ( OR =1.797, 95% CI : 1.393-2.318; OR =0.641, 95% CI : 0.498-0.827; OR =0.586, 95% CI : 0.439-0.783; OR =0.580, 95% CI : 0.378-0.890) . Conclusion: Railway female workers have lower levels of mental health than the general population and are under significant occupational stress. Exposure to occupational hazardous factors, night shift, overwork, and carrying heavy objects are associated with the development of mental health problems in railway female workers.

Trusses Of Tensegrity Type In A Concept Of Train Station Renovation In Żary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechocka, Paulina

2015-09-01

The first railway station in Żary was built in 1843 in Germany. After the Second World War and years of socialism in Poland the meaning of railway decreased and its technical condition deteriorated. Now the building needs renovation and change of function. Tensegrity structures may be useful in renovation of platforms shelter. They are strut and tie construction, in which there is self-stabilization between compressed and tensioned elements. Conception of new platform shelter is based on exemplary tensegrity module consist of three struts and nine cables (called "Simplex"). Tensegrity would make railway station more modern, but not cover its original elevation.

Railway obstacle detection algorithm using neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Mingyang; Yang, Peng; Wei, Sen

2018-05-01

Aiming at the difficulty of detection of obstacle in outdoor railway scene, a data-oriented method based on neural network to obtain image objects is proposed. First, we mark objects of images(such as people, trains, animals) acquired on the Internet. and then use the residual learning units to build Fast R-CNN framework. Then, the neural network is trained to get the target image characteristics by using stochastic gradient descent algorithm. Finally, a well-trained model is used to identify an outdoor railway image. if it includes trains and other objects, it will issue an alert. Experiments show that the correct rate of warning reached 94.85%.

All Aboard the Information Super...Railway!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klassen, Frank, Jr.

1994-01-01

New information technology is viewed as analogous to a railway network that serves many, in diverse areas, and leads users to new frontiers. It is suggested that higher education can contribute to this system by developing useful new applications, providing guidelines for appropriate "passenger" behavior, and enhancing quality. (MSE)

77 FR 73114 - BNSF Railway Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-07

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35676 (Sub-No. 1)] BNSF Railway Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Notice, correction. SUMMARY: This document corrects a notice appearing in the...

Instructor Training on British Railways

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, J. D.

1970-01-01

The value of instructor training was recognized by British Railways as early as 1950 with the setting up of a training center at Darlington. This article shows the results of this continuous training experience in the benefits to be obtained from re-appraisal techniques and practical work. (Author/EB)

77 FR 61656 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-10

... County Heritage Foundation, Inc. (MCHF), on behalf of the Big South Fork Scenic Railway (BSFSRY), has... on the historic Kentucky & Tennessee Railway into the river gorge of the Big South Fork of the... in these proceedings by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate...

The Simulation of Vibrations of Railway Beam Bridges in the Object-oriented Environment Delphi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raspopov, Alexander; Artyomov, Vitaly; Rusu, Sergey

2010-01-01

The peculiarities of combination of finite-element method and equations of solid dynamics, the basic stages of development of the program complex Belinda for calculation of statics and dynamics of the rods constructions as applied to railway bridges are described.

77 FR 25229 - Adams-Warnock Railway, Inc.-Lease and Operation Exemption-Norfolk Southern Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

... to as the Brampton Lead, beginning just beyond the northernmost turnout switch at NSR milepost FL 5.5... revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a petition to...

29 CFR 1201.2 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... “carrier” shall not include any street, interurban, or suburban electric railway, unless such railway is operating as a part of a general steam-railroad system of transportation, but shall not exclude any part of the general steam-railroad system of transportation now or hereafter operated by any other motive...

Impact Assessment of the Virginia Railway Express Commuter Rail on Land Use Development Patterns in Northern Virginia

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-12-01

A new commuter rail system - the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) - began operations in Northern Virginia in mid-1992. The new VRE operated four trains each over two existing rail lines running through metropolitan fringe areas to downtown Washington, ...

Health-Related Quality of Life and Associated Factors of Frontline Railway Workers: A Cross-Sectional Survey in the Ankang Area, Shaanxi Province, China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaona; Chen, Gang; Xu, Feng; Zhou, Kaina; Zhuang, Guihua

2016-01-01

After validation of the widely used health-related quality of life (HRQOL) generic measure, the Short Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2), we investigated the HRQOL and associated factors of frontline railway workers in China. Ground workers, conductors, and train drivers were selected from Ankang Precinct by using a stratified cluster sampling technique. A total of 784 frontline railway workers participated in the survey. The reliability and validity of SF-36v2 was satisfactory. The physical component summary (PCS) scores of three subgroups attained the average range for the USA general population, whereas the mental component summary (MCS) scores were well below the range. Most domains scored below the norm, except for the physical functioning (PF) domain. Among three subgroups, train drivers reported significantly lower scores on MCS and six health domains (excluding PF and bodily pain (BP)). After controlled confounders, conductors had significantly higher PCS and MCS scores than ground workers. There is heterogeneity on risk factors among three subgroups, but having long or irregular working schedules was negatively associated with HRQOL in all subgroups. SF-36v2 is a reliable and valid HRQOL measurement in railway workers in China. The frontline railway workers’ physical health was comparative to American norms, whilst mental health was relatively worse. Long or irregular working schedules were the most important factors. PMID:27916919

75 FR 63540 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Illinois Central Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-15

... Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption-- Illinois Central Railroad Company Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement dated August 17, 2010, Illinois Central Railroad Company (IC) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Norfolk Southern Railroad Company (NSR) over approximately 199.1 miles of rail...

75 FR 34530 - Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-Norfolk Southern...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

... Eagle Railroad Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--Norfolk Southern Railway Company Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR), pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement dated April 13, 2010, has agreed to grant nonexclusive overhead temporary trackage rights to Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad Company...

77 FR 18881 - Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-Norfolk Southern...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

... Eagle Railroad Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--Norfolk Southern Railway Company Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR), pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement dated February 3, 2012, has agreed to grant nonexclusive overhead temporary trackage rights to Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad Company...

75 FR 65399 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... determination that the engineering principles used in its design of its Continuous Speed Control Yard located at... states that the design elements of the Continuous Speed Control System meets American Railway Engineering... Section 2.4 of the AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering. UP also states that the design of Roseville yard...

76 FR 35508 - Alabama Southern Railroad, L.L.C.-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-Norfolk Southern Railway...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35510] Alabama Southern Railroad, L.L.C.--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--Norfolk Southern Railway Company Norfolk Southern... grant nonexclusive overhead temporary trackage rights to Alabama Southern Railroad, L.L.C. (ABS) over a...

76 FR 21425 - Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.-Abandonment Exemption-in Aroostook County, ME

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-15

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 1043 (Sub-No. 2X)] Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.--Abandonment Exemption-- in Aroostook County, ME On March 28, 2011... Van Buren, Aroostook County, Me. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 04785. In...

20 CFR 301.1 - Statutory provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., interurban, or suburban electric railway, unless such railway is operating as a part of a general steam... after hearing whether any line operated by electric power falls within the terms of this proviso. The... therefor, or in any of such activities. * * * (b) The term “carrier” means an express company, sleeping-car...

20 CFR 301.1 - Statutory provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., interurban, or suburban electric railway, unless such railway is operating as a part of a general steam... after hearing whether any line operated by electric power falls within the terms of this proviso. The... therefor, or in any of such activities. * * * (b) The term “carrier” means an express company, sleeping-car...

20 CFR 301.1 - Statutory provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., interurban, or suburban electric railway, unless such railway is operating as a part of a general steam... after hearing whether any line operated by electric power falls within the terms of this proviso. The... therefor, or in any of such activities. * * * (b) The term “carrier” means an express company, sleeping-car...

77 FR 3607 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Willamette River, Portland, OR

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-25

... deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Bridge... email [email protected] . If you have questions on viewing the docket, call Renee V. Wright... Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway has requested to not open the BNSF Railroad Lift Bridge for vessels to...

The Ardennes Campaign Simulation Data Base (ACSDB). Volume 1. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-07

Railway Artillery Battalion RRArtBt Railway Artillery Battery SS Schutzstaffeln (indicates combat elements of SS -- Waffen SS) SSArtBN SS Artillery...34 Rocket Launcher) Battalion VWBty Volkswerfer ("People’s" Rocket Launcher) Battery VTB Volga Tartar Battalion Note: SS = Waffen SS (Schutz Staffeln

75 FR 20033 - Winston-Salem Southbound Railway Company-Corporate Family Transaction Exemption-High Point...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-16

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 35338] Winston-Salem Southbound Railway Company--Corporate Family Transaction Exemption--High Point, Thomasville... under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(3) for a transaction within a corporate family. Applicants state that HPTD will...

Creating Global Networks through an Online Engineering Graduate Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, M. H.

2011-01-01

Internationally, the railway industry is facing a severe shortage of engineers with high-level, relevant, professional and technical knowledge and abilities, in particular amongst engineers involved in the design, construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure. A unique graduate level programme has been created to meet that global need via…

77 FR 69929 - Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation, Steven C. Hawkins and Cheryl R. Hawkins-Continuance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35691] Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation, Steven C. Hawkins and Cheryl R. Hawkins--Continuance in Control Exemption... Cheryl R. Hawkins (the Hawkins) (collectively, Applicants) have filed a verified notice of exemption...

20 CFR 301.1 - Statutory provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., interurban, or suburban electric railway, unless such railway is operating as a part of a general steam... after hearing whether any line operated by electric power falls within the terms of this proviso. The... therefor, or in any of such activities. * * * (b) The term “carrier” means an express company, sleeping-car...

20 CFR 301.1 - Statutory provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., interurban, or suburban electric railway, unless such railway is operating as a part of a general steam... after hearing whether any line operated by electric power falls within the terms of this proviso. The... therefor, or in any of such activities. * * * (b) The term “carrier” means an express company, sleeping-car...

Estimation of wind erosion from construction of a railway in arid northwest China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A state-of-the-art wind erosion simulation model, the Wind Erosion Prediction System and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s AP-42 emission factors formula, were combined together to evaluate wind-blown dust emissions from various construction units from a railway construction projec...

78 FR 49605 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Ontario, Seneca, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-14

... 20037. If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 356X)] Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Ontario, Seneca, and Wayne...

29 CFR 779.21 - Enterprise.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... with the operation of a hospital, an institution primarily engaged in the care of the sick, the aged... education (regardless of whether or not such hospital, institution, or school is public or private or... interurban electric railway, or local trolley or motorbus carrier, if the rates and services of such railway...

29 CFR 779.21 - Enterprise.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... with the operation of a hospital, an institution primarily engaged in the care of the sick, the aged... education (regardless of whether or not such hospital, institution, or school is public or private or... interurban electric railway, or local trolley or motorbus carrier, if the rates and services of such railway...

29 CFR 779.21 - Enterprise.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... with the operation of a hospital, an institution primarily engaged in the care of the sick, the aged... education (regardless of whether or not such hospital, institution, or school is public or private or... interurban electric railway, or local trolley or motorbus carrier, if the rates and services of such railway...

76 FR 13271 - Gulf & Ohio Railways, Inc., H. Peter Claussen and Linda C. Claussen-Continuance in Control...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-10

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35414] Gulf & Ohio Railways, Inc., H. Peter Claussen and Linda C. Claussen--Continuance in Control Exemption--Lancaster & Chester Railroad, LLC AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Correction to notice of exemption...

78 FR 16569 - Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC, Permian Basin Railways, and San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad-Corporate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-15

... Exemption-- Massachusetts Coastal Railroad, LLC Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC (IPH), its wholly owned subsidiaries Permian Basin Railways (PBR) and San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad (SLRG), and Massachusetts Coastal Railroad, LLC (Mass Coastal) (collectively, applicants), have jointly filed a verified notice of exemption...

78 FR 32709 - BNSF Railway Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-31

... Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--Union Pacific Railroad Company Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP), pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement dated May 16, 2013, has agreed to grant temporary overhead trackage rights to BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) over: (1) UP's Black Butte Subdivision...

High-speed railway signal trackside equipment patrol inspection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Nan

2018-03-01

High-speed railway signal trackside equipment patrol inspection system comprehensively applies TDI (time delay integration), high-speed and highly responsive CMOS architecture, low illumination photosensitive technique, image data compression technique, machine vision technique and so on, installed on high-speed railway inspection train, and achieves the collection, management and analysis of the images of signal trackside equipment appearance while the train is running. The system will automatically filter out the signal trackside equipment images from a large number of the background image, and identify of the equipment changes by comparing the original image data. Combining with ledger data and train location information, the system accurately locate the trackside equipment, conscientiously guiding maintenance.

A naturalistic study of railway controllers.

PubMed

Farrington-Darby, T; Wilson, John R; Norris, B J; Clarke, Theresa

There is an increasing prevalence for work to be analysed through naturalistic study, especially using ethnographically derived methods of enquiry and qualitative field research. The relatively unexplored domain of railway control (in comparison to signalling) in the UK is described in terms of features derived from observations and semi-structured interviews. In addition, task diagrams (a technique taken from the Applied Cognitive Task Analysis toolkit) are used to represent controllers' core elements of work, i.e. to manage events or incidents, and to identify the challenging steps in the process. The work features identified, the task diagrams, and the steps identified as challenging form a basis from which future ergonomics studies on railway controllers in the UK will be carried out.

75 FR 71487 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Abandonment Exemption-in Crawford County, GA; Georgia Midland...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-23

... 1059X] Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Crawford County, GA; Georgia Midland Railroad, Inc.\\1\\--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Crawford County, GA \\1\\ Based on information in a letter from one of NSR's attorneys, this is the correct name of the discontinuing railroad-- not...

76 FR 21426 - Union Pacific Railroad Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-BNSF Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-15

... Pacific Railroad Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--BNSF Railway Company AGENCY: Surface... Railroad--Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth and Ammon, in Bingham and Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). \\1\\ In that docket, on January 27, 2011, Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP...

76 FR 75602 - Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc.-Lease and Operation Exemption-Norfolk Southern Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-02

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35567] Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc.--Lease and Operation Exemption-- Norfolk Southern Railway Company Hilton & Albany Railroad... milepost J 302.3 near Albany West, Ga., and milepost J 357.8 near Hilton, Ga. (the line). This transaction...

Chapter 4:Grading and properties of hardwood structural lumber

Treesearch

David W. Green

2005-01-01

Structural lumber markets have traditionally been dominated by softwood species. Historically, however, hardwood species have been extensively used for certain structural products such as timbers for railway and highway bridges, railway ties, mine timbers, and for pallets and containers. In the 1920s, when uniform procedures were first developed for structural grading...

33 CFR 117.647 - Saginaw River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Lake State Railway Bridge, mile 3.10, and the Canadian National Railway Bridge, mile 4.94, both in Bay... if at least 12 hours advance notice is provided. (b) The draws of the Independence Bridge, mile 3.88, Liberty Street Bridge, mile 4.99, Veterans Memorial Bridge, mile 5.60, and Lafayette Street Bridge, mile 6...

33 CFR 117.647 - Saginaw River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Lake State Railway Bridge, mile 3.10, and the Canadian National Railway Bridge, mile 4.94, both in Bay... if at least 12 hours advance notice is provided. (b) The draws of the Independence Bridge, mile 3.88, Liberty Street Bridge, mile 4.99, Veterans Memorial Bridge, mile 5.60, and Lafayette Street Bridge, mile 6...

33 CFR 117.647 - Saginaw River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Lake State Railway Bridge, mile 3.10, and the Canadian National Railway Bridge, mile 4.94, both in Bay... if at least 12 hours advance notice is provided. (b) The draws of the Independence Bridge, mile 3.88, Liberty Street Bridge, mile 4.99, Veterans Memorial Bridge, mile 5.60, and Lafayette Street Bridge, mile 6...

75 FR 16712 - Waybill Data Released in Three-Benchmark Rail Rate Proceedings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... carrier for the 4 years that correspond with the most recently published Revenue Shortfall Allocation... approach for medium-size rail rate disputes and revising its Three-Benchmark approach for smaller rail rate.... Id. at 246-47. \\1\\ Canadian Pacific Railway Co., Soo Line Railroad Company, Delaware & Hudson Railway...

77 FR 40147 - Pan Am Southern, LLC.-Abandonment Exemption-in Worcester County, MA; Springfield Terminal Railway...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-06

... (Sub No. 41X)] Pan Am Southern, LLC.--Abandonment Exemption--in Worcester County, MA; Springfield Terminal Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Worcester County, MA Pan Am Southern, LLC... B. Burns, Corporate Counsel, Iron Horse Park, North Billerica, MA 01862. If the verified notice...

75 FR 63714 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Des Allemands Bayou, LA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-18

... deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway swing...-671-2128, e-mail [email protected] . If you have questions on viewing the docket, call Renee V... Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway swing span drawbridge across Bayou Des Allemands, mile 14.0 has a...

76 FR 20819 - Manufacturers Railway Company-Discontinuance Exemption-in St. Louis County, MO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB-1075X] Manufacturers Railway Company--Discontinuance Exemption--in St. Louis County, MO On March 24, 2011, Manufacturers... Mississippi River flood wall on the east to U.S. Interstate 55 on the west, in St. Louis, Mo. The lines...

76 FR 22166 - Manufacturers Railway Company-Discontinuance Exemption-in St. Louis County, MO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-20

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB-1075X] Manufacturers Railway Company--Discontinuance Exemption--in St. Louis County, MO AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board... Mississippi River flood wall on the east to U.S. Interstate 55 on the west, in St. Louis, MO. On April 13...

Surface Excrescence Transition Study Delivery Order 0053

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

located near the town of Hyuga). The facility was constructed on a former MAGLEV testing track owned by Railway Technical Research Institute of Japan 6...12pp) 6. Takahashi, K., ―The outline of MLU002N on Miyazaki test track,‖ Int. Conf. on Speedup Technology for Railway and MAGLEV Vehicles vol 1 pp

76 FR 56004 - Mannheim Armitage Railway, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Certain Trackage Rights of J...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-09

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35540] Mannheim Armitage Railway, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Certain Trackage Rights of J. Emil Anderson & Son, Inc... verified notice of exemption \\1\\ under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from J. Emil Anderson & Son, Inc...

76 FR 15996 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Extension of F-Line Historic Streetcar Service, Golden...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-22

... facilities along the Embarcadero including creation of an historic streetcar line along Market Street and the... disjunct NPS areas. The Municipal Railway currently operates historic streetcar service on Market Street... National Parks Conservancy, Market Street Railway, San Francisco Department of Recreation and Parks, and...

78 FR 57682 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Monroe County, Mich.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-19

... is void ab initio. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at www.stb.dot.gov... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 357X)] Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Monroe County, Mich. Norfolk...

77 FR 26603 - Central Midland Railway Company and Progressive Rail Inc.-Intra-Corporate Family Transaction...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

... Railway Company and Progressive Rail Inc.--Intra- Corporate Family Transaction Exemption Central Midland... verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(3) and 1180.2(d)(6) for an intra-corporate family...). \\2\\ See Progressive Rail Inc.--Intra-Corporate Family Transaction Exemption--Airlake Terminal Ry., FD...

76 FR 48941 - Alabama & Florida Railway Co., Inc.-Abandonment Exemption-in Geneva, Coffee, and Covington...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 1073X] Alabama & Florida Railway Co., Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Geneva, Coffee, and Covington Counties, Ala. Alabama... milepost 624.2 at Geneva, Ala., a distance of 42.9 miles, in Geneva, Coffee and Covington Counties, Ala...

76 FR 57798 - Canadian Pacific Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Consolidated Rail Corporation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-16

... Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CP) over CRC's Foreman Wye between the connection with Norfolk Southern... the draft trackage rights agreement between CRC and CP was filed with the notice of exemption. The... exemption was filed). According to CP, the purpose of the transaction is to allow for a more efficient...

METHODS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR OLDER WORKERS IN THE FRENCH NATIONAL RAILWAYS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

COQUERET, A.

WHEN THE FRENCH NATIONAL RAILWAY CONVERTED FROM STEAM TO AN ELECTRIC AND DIESEL-ELECTRIC TRACTION SYSTEM, IT WAS NECESSARY TO RETRAIN OLDER (OVER 40) SKILLED WORKERS--DRIVERS, LOCOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE MEN AND SUPERVISORS OF WORKSHOPS AND DEPOTS. THE INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES OF OLDER PERSONS IN RETRAINING WERE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION…

External insulation of electrified railway and energy saving analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dun, Xiaohong

2018-04-01

Through the analysis of the formation process of insulator surface fouling and the cause of fouling of the insulator, the electrified railway was explored to utilize the coating material on the surface of the insulator to achieve the effect of flashover prevention. At the same time the purpose of energy conservation can be achieved.

76 FR 55471 - Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railroad-Abandonment Exemption-in Allegheny County, PA; Wheeling...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-07

... Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railroad (PWV) and Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company (WLE) (collectively... Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service for PWV to abandon, and for WLE to discontinue its sublease rights... Service Zip Code 15220. Currently, PWV leases the line to Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR), which in...

77 FR 65446 - Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC and Permian Basin Railways-Control Exemption-Cape Rail, Inc. and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-26

... Holdings, LLC and Permian Basin Railways--Control Exemption--Cape Rail, Inc. and Massachusetts Coastal...), and Massachusetts Coastal Railroad, LLC (Mass Coastal) (collectively, applicants) have filed a verified notice of exemption for Iowa Pacific and Permian to acquire indirect control of Mass Coastal, a...

Anti-Runaway Prevention System with Wireless Sensors for Intelligent Track Skates at Railway Stations.

PubMed

Jiang, Chaozhe; Xu, Yibo; Wen, Chao; Chen, Dilin

2017-12-19

Anti-runaway prevention of rolling stocks at a railway station is essential in railway safety management. The traditional track skates for anti-runaway prevention of rolling stocks have some disadvantages since they are operated and monitored completely manually. This paper describes an anti-runaway prevention system (ARPS) based on intelligent track skates equipped with sensors and real-time monitoring and management system. This system, which has been updated from the traditional track skates, comprises four parts: intelligent track skates, a signal reader, a database station, and a monitoring system. This system can monitor the real-time situation of track skates without changing their workflow for anti-runaway prevention, and thus realize the integration of anti-runaway prevention information management. This system was successfully tested and practiced at Sunjia station in Harbin Railway Bureau in 2014, and the results confirmed that the system showed 100% accuracy in reflecting the usage status of the track skates. The system could meet practical demands, as it is highly reliable and supports long-distance communication.

Prevention of railway trespassing by automatic sound warning-A pilot study.

PubMed

Kallberg, Veli-Pekka; Silla, Anne

2017-04-03

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a sound warning system on the frequency of trespassing at 2 pilot test sites in Finland. The effect of automatic prerecorded sound warning on the prevention of railway trespassing was evaluated based on observations at 2 test sites in Finland. At both sites an illegal footpath crossed the railway, and the average daily number of trespassers before implementation of the measures was about 18 at both sites. The results showed that trespassing was reduced at these sites by 18 and 44%, respectively. Because of the lack of proper control sites, it is possible that the real effects of the measure are somewhat smaller. The current study concludes that automatic sound warning may be efficient and cost effective at locations where fencing is not a viable option. However, it is not likely to be a cost-effective panacea for all kinds of sites where trespassing occurs, especially in countries like Finland where trespassing is scattered along the railway network rather than concentrated to a limited number of sites.

Method and apparatus for optimizing a train trip using signal information

DOEpatents

Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair; Daum, Wolfgang; Otsubo, Tom; Hershey, John Erik; Hess, Gerald James

2013-02-05

One embodiment of the invention includes a system for operating a railway network comprising a first railway vehicle (400) during a trip along track segments (401/412/420). The system comprises a first element (65) for determining travel parameters of the first railway vehicle (400), a second element (65) for determining travel parameters of a second railway vehicle (418) relative to the track segments to be traversed by the first vehicle during the trip, a processor (62) for receiving information from the first (65) and the second (65) elements and for determining a relationship between occupation of a track segment (401/412/420) by the second vehicle (418) and later occupation of the same track segment by the first vehicle (400) and an algorithm embodied within the processor (62) having access to the information to create a trip plan that determines a speed trajectory for the first vehicle (400), wherein the speed trajectory is responsive to the relationship and further in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the first vehicle (400).

Comparison of Annoyance from Railway Noise and Railway Vibration

PubMed Central

Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, Anita; Gustavsson, Sara

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare vibration exposure to noise exposure from railway traffic in terms of equal annoyance, i.e., to determine when a certain noise level is equally annoying as a corresponding vibration velocity. Based on questionnaire data from the Train Vibration and Noise Effects (TVANE) research project from residential areas exposed to railway noise and vibration, the dose response relationship for annoyance was estimated. By comparing the relationships between exposure and annoyance for areas both with and without significant vibration exposure, the noise levels and vibration velocities that had an equal probability of causing annoyance was determined using logistic regression. The comparison gives a continuous mapping between vibration velocity in the ground and a corresponding noise level at the facade that are equally annoying. For equivalent noise level at the facade compared to maximum weighted vibration velocity in the ground the probability of annoyance is approximately 20% for 59 dB or 0.48 mm/s, and about 40% for 63 dB or 0.98 mm/s. PMID:28753921

Development of a railway wagon-track interaction model: Case studies on excited tracks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lei; Chen, Xianmai; Li, Xuwei; He, Xianglin

2018-02-01

In this paper, a theoretical framework for modeling the railway wagon-ballast track interactions is presented, in which the dynamic equations of motion of wagon-track systems are constructed by effectively coupling the linear and nonlinear dynamic characteristics of system components. For the linear components, the energy-variational principle is directly used to derive their dynamic matrices, while for the nonlinear components, the dynamic equilibrium method is implemented to deduce the load vectors, based on which a novel railway wagon-ballast track interaction model is developed, and being validated by comparing with the experimental data measured from a heavy haul railway and another advanced model. With this study, extensive contributions in figuring out the critical speed of instability, limits and localizations of track irregularities over derailment accidents are presented by effectively integrating the dynamic simulation model, the track irregularity probabilistic model and time-frequency analysis method. The proposed approaches can provide crucial information to guarantee the running safety and stability of the wagon-track system when considering track geometries and various running speeds.

Implementation of a piezoelectric energy harvester in railway health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jingcheng; Jang, Shinae; Tang, Jiong

2014-03-01

With development of wireless sensor technology, wireless sensor network has shown a great potential for railway health monitoring. However, how to supply continuous power to the wireless sensor nodes is one of the critical issues in long-term full-scale deployment of the wireless smart sensors. Some energy harvesting methodologies have been available including solar, vibration, wind, etc; among them, vibration-based energy harvester using piezoelectric material showed the potential for converting ambient vibration energy to electric energy in railway health monitoring even for underground subway systems. However, the piezoelectric energy harvester has two major problems including that it could only generate small amount of energy, and that it should match the exact narrow band natural frequency with the excitation frequency. To overcome these problems, a wide band piezoelectric energy harvester, which could generate more power on various frequencies regions, has been designed and validated with experimental test. Then it was applied to a full-scale field test using actual railway train. The power generation of the wide band piezoelectric array has been compared to a narrow-band, resonant-based, piezoelectric energy harvester.

Anti-Runaway Prevention System with Wireless Sensors for Intelligent Track Skates at Railway Stations

PubMed Central

Jiang, Chaozhe; Xu, Yibo; Chen, Dilin

2017-01-01

Anti-runaway prevention of rolling stocks at a railway station is essential in railway safety management. The traditional track skates for anti-runaway prevention of rolling stocks have some disadvantages since they are operated and monitored completely manually. This paper describes an anti-runaway prevention system (ARPS) based on intelligent track skates equipped with sensors and real-time monitoring and management system. This system, which has been updated from the traditional track skates, comprises four parts: intelligent track skates, a signal reader, a database station, and a monitoring system. This system can monitor the real-time situation of track skates without changing their workflow for anti-runaway prevention, and thus realize the integration of anti-runaway prevention information management. This system was successfully tested and practiced at Sunjia station in Harbin Railway Bureau in 2014, and the results confirmed that the system showed 100% accuracy in reflecting the usage status of the track skates. The system could meet practical demands, as it is highly reliable and supports long-distance communication. PMID:29257108

Prediction and measurements of vibrations from a railway track lying on a peaty ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picoux, B.; Rotinat, R.; Regoin, J. P.; Le Houédec, D.

2003-10-01

This paper introduces a two-dimensional model for the response of the ground surface due to vibrations generated by a railway traffic. A semi-analytical wave propagation model is introduced which is subjected to a set of harmonic moving loads and based on a calculation method of the dynamic stiffness matrix of the ground. In order to model a complete railway system, the effect of a simple track model is taken into account including rails, sleepers and ballast especially designed for the study of low vibration frequencies. The priority has been given to a simple formulation based on the principle of spatial Fourier transforms compatible with good numerical efficiency and yet providing quick solutions. In addition, in situ measurements for a soft soil near a railway track were carried out and will be used to validate the numerical implementation. The numerical and experimental results constitute a significant body of useful data to, on the one hand, characterize the response of the environment of tracks and, on the other hand, appreciate the importance of the speed and weight on the behaviour of the structure.

Meteorological tools in support to the railway security system on the Calabria region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laviola, Sante; Gabriele, Salvatore; Iovine, Giulio; Baldini, Luca; Chiravalloti, Francesco; Federico, Stefano; Miglietta, Marcello Mario; Milani, Lisa; Procopio, Antonio; Roberto, Nicoletta; Tiesi, Alessandro; Agostino, Mario; Niccoli, Raffaele; Stassi, Sergio; Rago, Valeria

2017-04-01

RAMSES (RAilway Meteorological SEcurity System) is a pilot project co-funded by the Italian Railway Company - RFI S.p.A. and conceived for the mitigation of the hydrological risk along the Calabria railways. RAMSES aims at improving the forecast of very short life-cycle convection systems, responsible of intense and localized rainfalls affecting small catchment areas, which are often underestimated by the numerical weather models and even non-adequately detected by the network of sparse raingauges. The RAMSES operational design is based on a synergistic and integrated architecture, providing a series of information able to identify the most active convective cells and monitoring their evolution in terms of vertical structure, rain intensity and geo-hydrological effects at ground (debris flow, landslides, collapses of bridges, erosion of the ballast). The RAMSES meteorological component is designed to identify and track the short-term evolution (15-60 min) of convective cells, by means of imaging techniques based on dual-polarization weather radar and Meteosat data. In support of this quasi-real time analysis, the numerical model WRF provides the weather forecast at 3-6 hours range by ingesting, through the assimilation system LAPS, the observational data (rain gauges, ground weather stations, radar, satellites) in order to improve the initial condition. Finally, the hydraulic flow modeling is used to assess the ground effects in terms of landslide susceptibility, rainfall-runoff intensity, debris impact on the drainage network and evaluate of risk along the railway track.

Suppression of AC railway power-line interference in ECG signals recorded by public access defibrillators

PubMed Central

Dotsinsky, Ivan

2005-01-01

Background Public access defibrillators (PADs) are now available for more efficient and rapid treatment of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. PADs are used normally by untrained people on the streets and in sports centers, airports, and other public areas. Therefore, automated detection of ventricular fibrillation, or its exclusion, is of high importance. A special case exists at railway stations, where electric power-line frequency interference is significant. Many countries, especially in Europe, use 16.7 Hz AC power, which introduces high level frequency-varying interference that may compromise fibrillation detection. Method Moving signal averaging is often used for 50/60 Hz interference suppression if its effect on the ECG spectrum has little importance (no morphological analysis is performed). This approach may be also applied to the railway situation, if the interference frequency is continuously detected so as to synchronize the analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) for introducing variable inter-sample intervals. A better solution consists of rated ADC, software frequency measuring, internal irregular re-sampling according to the interference frequency, and a moving average over a constant sample number, followed by regular back re-sampling. Results The proposed method leads to a total railway interference cancellation, together with suppression of inherent noise, while the peak amplitudes of some sharp complexes are reduced. This reduction has negligible effect on accurate fibrillation detection. Conclusion The method is developed in the MATLAB environment and represents a useful tool for real time railway interference suppression. PMID:16309558

Suppression of AC railway power-line interference in ECG signals recorded by public access defibrillators.

PubMed

Dotsinsky, Ivan

2005-11-26

Public access defibrillators (PADs) are now available for more efficient and rapid treatment of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. PADs are used normally by untrained people on the streets and in sports centers, airports, and other public areas. Therefore, automated detection of ventricular fibrillation, or its exclusion, is of high importance. A special case exists at railway stations, where electric power-line frequency interference is significant. Many countries, especially in Europe, use 16.7 Hz AC power, which introduces high level frequency-varying interference that may compromise fibrillation detection. Moving signal averaging is often used for 50/60 Hz interference suppression if its effect on the ECG spectrum has little importance (no morphological analysis is performed). This approach may be also applied to the railway situation, if the interference frequency is continuously detected so as to synchronize the analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) for introducing variable inter-sample intervals. A better solution consists of rated ADC, software frequency measuring, internal irregular re-sampling according to the interference frequency, and a moving average over a constant sample number, followed by regular back re-sampling. The proposed method leads to a total railway interference cancellation, together with suppression of inherent noise, while the peak amplitudes of some sharp complexes are reduced. This reduction has negligible effect on accurate fibrillation detection. The method is developed in the MATLAB environment and represents a useful tool for real time railway interference suppression.

Control system for maximum use of adhesive forces of a railway vehicle in a tractive mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiryagin, Maksym; Lee, Kwan Soo; Yoo, Hong Hee

2008-04-01

The realization of maximum adhesive forces for a railway vehicle is a very difficult process, because it involves using tractive efforts and depends on friction characteristics in the contact zone between wheels and rails. Tractive efforts are realized by means of tractive torques of motors, and their maximum values can provide negative effects such as slip and skid. These situations usually happen when information about friction conditions is lacking. The negative processes have a major influence on wearing of contact bodies and tractive units. Therefore, many existing control systems for vehicles use an effect of a prediction of a friction coefficient between wheels and rails because measuring a friction coefficient at the moment of running vehicle movement is very difficult. One of the ways to solve this task is to use noise spectrum analysis for friction coefficient detection. This noise phenomenon has not been clearly studied and analyzed. In this paper, we propose an adhesion control system of railway vehicles based on an observer, which allows one to determine the maximum tractive torque based on the optimal adhesive force between the wheels (wheel pair) of a railway vehicle and rails (rail track) depending on weight load from a wheel to a rail, friction conditions in the contact zone, a lateral displacement of wheel set and wheel sleep. As a result, it allows a railway vehicle to be driven in a tractive mode by the maximum adhesion force for real friction conditions.

Benzene and toluene in the surface air of northern Eurasia from TROICA-12 campaign along the Trans-Siberian Railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skorokhod, Andrey I.; Berezina, Elena V.; Moiseenko, Konstantin B.; Elansky, Nikolay F.; Belikov, Igor B.

2017-05-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) on a mobile laboratory in a transcontinental TROICA-12 (21 July-4 August 2008) campaign along the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok. Surface concentrations of benzene (C6H6) and toluene (C7H8) along with non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), CO, O3, SO2, NO, NO2 and meteorology are analyzed in this study to identify the main sources of benzene and toluene along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The most measurements in the TROICA-12 campaign were conducted under low-wind/stagnant conditions in moderately ( ˜ 78 % of measurements) to weakly polluted ( ˜ 20 % of measurements) air directly affected by regional anthropogenic sources adjacent to the railway. Only 2 % of measurements were identified as characteristic of highly polluted urban atmosphere. Maximum values of benzene and toluene during the campaign reached 36.5 and 45.6 ppb, respectively, which is significantly less than their short-term exposure limits (94 and 159 ppb for benzene and toluene, respectively). About 90 % of benzene and 65 % of toluene content is attributed to motor vehicle transport and 10 and 20 %, respectively, provided by the other local- and regional-scale sources. The highest average concentrations of benzene and toluene are measured in the industrial regions of the European Russia (up to 0.3 and 0.4 ppb for benzene and toluene, respectively) and south Siberia (up to 0.2 and 0.4 ppb for benzene and toluene, respectively). Total contribution of benzene and toluene to photochemical ozone production along the Trans-Siberian Railway is about 16 % compared to the most abundant organic VOC - isoprene. This contribution, however, is found to be substantially higher (up to 60-70 %) in urbanized areas along the railway, suggesting an important role of anthropogenic pollutant sources in regional ozone photochemistry and air quality.

Color Vision and the Railways: Part 3. Comparison of FaLant, OPTEC 900, and Railway LED Lantern Tests.

PubMed

Dain, Stephen J; Casolin, Armand; Long, Jennifer

2015-02-01

The Farnsworth Lantern (FaLant) and the OPTEC 900 are nominated in the Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage (CIE) Color Vision Standard 2. Neither test uses the railway signal color code of red, yellow, and green, and only the OPTEC 900 is commercially available. The Railway LED Lantern Test (RLLT) is based on railway signaling practices in New South Wales, Australia, and is nominated in the Australian railway medical standard. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of the three lantern tests. The RLLT, FaLant, and OPTEC 900 were administered to 46 color vision-normal and 37 color vision-deficient (CVD) subjects. The pattern of errors on the RLLT was different from that of the FaLant and OPTEC 900. This may be accounted for, at least in part, by the different colors and the use of blank presentations in the RLLT. The three lanterns showed agreement in failing 21 and passing 6 of the CVD subjects (72.9%). The lanterns gave different results for 10 CVD subjects (27.9%): n = 5 passed only the RLLT and n = 3 passed only the FaLant; n = 1 failed only the FaLant and n = 1 failed only the RLLT. The overall failure rate by CVD for each lantern was 67.6% (RLLT), 73.0% (FaLant), and 78.4% (OPTEC 900). Despite the different construction principles, the pass/fail levels of the RLLT, FaLant, and OPTEC 900 are comparable and consistent with the performance of other lanterns listed by the CIE for Color Vision Standard 2. The RLLT may be a little easier to pass and is based on the signal color code used and actual signaling practice. We propose that the RLLT is also an appropriate lantern for CIE Color Vision Standard 2.

78 FR 802 - Heart of Texas Railroad, L.P.-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Gulf Colorado & San Saba...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-04

... Railroad, L.P.--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Gulf Colorado & San Saba Railway Company Heart of Texas Railroad, L.P. (the Company), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Gulf Colorado & San Saba Railway Company (the Seller), and to operate...

Tracking It Down: Predictors of Risky Drinking in an Australian Railway.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinkiewicz, Lucy; Davey, Jeremy; Obst, Patricia; Sheehan, Mary

1999-01-01

Surveys employees (N=4,979) of an Australian state railway to determine self-reported employee alcohol use and the influence of work-related risk factors on this use. Examination of risk factors previously associated with work-related problem drinking showed that gender, nights away from home for work, job satisfaction, and availability of alcohol…

Technology transfer-transportation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anyos, T.; Lizak, R.; Wilhelm, J.; Hirschberg, K.

1974-01-01

The application of aerospace technology to the solution of urban public transportation problems is considered. Data are given on highway and railway systems with particular attention given to safety devices, fuel economy, and measures for profiling railways and highways. The development of streamlined truck bodies, to reduce air drag, and efficient brake systems for light trucks and other vehicles was also dealt with.

75 FR 71487 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-23

... Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR... Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance or modification of a signal system, as detailed below. Docket Number FRA-2010-0159 Applicant: BNSF Railway, Mr. James LeVere, AVP Signals, BNSF Railway...

78 FR 60375 - Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Claiborne County, TN, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-01

...); Docket No. AB 55 (Sub-No. 732X)] Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service Exemption... exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service and Trackage Rights for NSR to discontinue service over, and for CSXT to discontinue trackage rights operations over...

76 FR 35068 - Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Company; Abandonment Exemption-in St. Louis County, MN

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-15

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 101 Sub-No. 18X] Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Company; Abandonment Exemption--in St. Louis County, MN Duluth, Missabe and... Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.\\1\\ The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 55808. \\1...

77 FR 34125 - Wisconsin Central Ltd.-Intra-Corporate Family Merger Exemption-Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-08

... Ltd.--Intra-Corporate Family Merger Exemption-- Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company Wisconsin... 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(3) for an intra-corporate family transaction. WCL, a rail carrier, is a wholly owned... transaction, the WCTC family of rail carriers also included WCL, Fox Valley & Western Ltd. (FVW), Sault Ste...

Hydraulic actuation technology for full- and semi-active railway suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodall, Roger; Freudenthaler, Gerhard; Dixon, Roger

2014-12-01

The paper describes a simulation study that provides a comprehensive comparison between full-active and semi-active suspensions for improving the vertical ride quality of railway vehicles. It includes an assessment of the ride quality benefits that can theoretically be achieved with idealised devices, and also examines the impact of real devices based upon hydraulic actuation technology.

24. Looking east down Farnsworth Street to gate of Thames ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

24. Looking east down Farnsworth Street to gate of Thames Shipyard and the Thames River; Storage and Joiner Shop is large building in center; to right of that is Headhouse for Marine Railway #3; farther right is cradle of Marine Railway #3. - Thames Tow Boat Company, Foot of Farnsworth Street, New London, New London County, CT

76 FR 57798 - Canadian Pacific Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-CSX Transportation, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-16

... Pacific Railway Company (CP) between milepost CH 5.0 , in the vicinity of Fort Street at a connection.... (the Line).\\2\\ \\1\\ A redacted version of the trackage rights agreement between CSXT and CP was filed..., in which CP seeks to obtain overhead trackage rights over CRC's Foreman Wye, between Norfolk Southern...

76 FR 31010 - Iowa Northern Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... Corporation d/b/a Canadian Pacific (CP) will agree to grant overhead trackage rights to Iowa Northern Railway..., and milepost 116.70 at the connection with CP's Mason City Subdivision, a distance of approximately 20.80 miles; (2) milepost 116.70 at the connection with CP's Mason City Subdivision and milepost 107.30...

Electrical injuries due to railway high tension cables.

PubMed

Reichl, M; Kay, S

1985-08-01

We have noted a large number of young boys being admitted to our Unit with burns due to railway high tension cables. On review of these cases we have noted: most of the burns were due to arcing, there is a high level of ignorance among the population at risk. We propose some ways of preventing these injuries.

75 FR 2580 - Carolina Coastal Railway, Inc.-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-North Carolina State Ports...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-15

... North Carolina State Ports Authority (SPA) and to operate approximately 0.87 miles of SPA's rail lines... by SPA (or previously owned or leased by North Carolina Ports Railway Commission), in Carteret County... SPA to the PCS Phosphate Company, Inc., rail car dump and the ``Fishmeal'' spur on the area commonly...

76 FR 82040 - Canexus Chemicals Canada L.P. v. BNSF Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-29

... service order could be terminated. On November 3, 2011, UP, Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CP),\\2\\ and... on December 5, 2011. \\2\\ CP was identified by BNSF as a possible participant in an alternative... counsel who will be presenting argument and the name of the party counsel will be representing. CP is...

Trespassing on the tracks: a review of railway pedestrian safety research.

PubMed

Lobb, Brenda

2006-01-01

Train-pedestrian collisions have been shown to be the leading cause of fatality in train-related accidents worldwide, yet there is remarkably little research in this area. In this paper, the major types of railway transportation accident research are briefly highlighted to indicate the general context of research concerning train-pedestrian collisions, which are then reviewed. Themes emerging from the diverse research are identified, the various strategies that have been proposed for prevention of railway pedestrian accidents are discussed, and the empirical evidence for their efficacy examined in the light of the much more extensive literature on road pedestrian accidents. Finally, it is proposed that application of current theory in behavioral and cognitive psychology may usefully inform future research in transportation safety.

Optimizing suicide and trespass prevention on railways: a problem-solving model from the RESTRAIL project.

PubMed

Havârneanu, Grigore M; Burkhardt, Jean-Marie; Silla, Anne

2017-12-01

Suicides and trespassing accidents result in more than 3800 fatalities in Europe, representing 88% of all fatalities occurring within the EU railway system. This paper presents a problem-solving model, which consists of a multistep approach structuring the analysis of a suicide or trespass-related problem on the railways. First, we present the method used to design, evaluate and improve the problem-solving model. Then we describe the model in detail: it comprises six steps with several subsequent actions, and each action is approached through a checklist of prompting questions and possible answers. At the end, we discuss the added value of this model for decision makers and its usability in the selection of optimal prevention measures.

Annoyance due to railway vibration at different times of the day.

PubMed

Peris, Eulalia; Woodcock, James; Sica, Gennaro; Moorhouse, Andrew T; Waddington, David C

2012-02-01

The time of day when vibration occurs is considered as a factor influencing the human response to vibration. The aim of the present paper is to identify the times of day during which railway vibration causes the greatest annoyance, to measure the differences between annoyance responses for different time periods and to obtain estimates of the time of day penalties. This was achieved using data from case studies comprised of face-to-face interviews and internal vibration measurements (N=755). Results indicate that vibration annoyance differs with time of day and that separate time of day weights can be applied when considering exposure-response relationships from railway vibration in residential environments. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

Peak power reduction and energy efficiency improvement with the superconducting flywheel energy storage in electric railway system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hansang; Jung, Seungmin; Cho, Yoonsung; Yoon, Donghee; Jang, Gilsoo

2013-11-01

This paper proposes an application of the 100 kWh superconducting flywheel energy storage systems to reduce the peak power of the electric railway system. The electric railway systems have high-power characteristics and large amount of regenerative energy during vehicles’ braking. The high-power characteristic makes operating cost high as the system should guarantee the secure capacity of electrical equipment and the low utilization rate of regenerative energy limits the significant energy efficiency improvement. In this paper, it had been proved that the peak power reduction and energy efficiency improvement can be achieved by using 100 kWh superconducting flywheel energy storage systems with the optimally controlled charging or discharging operations. Also, economic benefits had been assessed.

Minimum depth of soil cover above long-span soil-steel railway bridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esmaeili, Morteza; Zakeri, Jabbar Ali; Abdulrazagh, Parisa Haji

2013-12-01

Recently, soil-steel bridges have become more commonly used as railway-highway crossings because of their economical advantages and short construction period compared with traditional bridges. The currently developed formula for determining the minimum depth of covers by existing codes is typically based on vehicle loads and non-stiffened panels and takes into consideration the geometrical shape of the metal structure to avoid the failure of soil cover above a soil-steel bridge. The effects of spans larger than 8 m or more stiffened panels due to railway loads that maintain a safe railway track have not been accounted for in the minimum cover formulas and are the subject of this paper. For this study, two-dimensional finite element (FE) analyses of four low-profile arches and four box culverts with spans larger than 8 m were performed to develop new patterns for the minimum depth of soil cover by considering the serviceability criterion of the railway track. Using the least-squares method, new formulas were then developed for low-profile arches and box culverts and were compared with Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code formulas. Finally, a series of three-dimensional (3D) finite element FE analyses were carried out to control the out-of-plane buckling in the steel plates due to the 3D pattern of train loads. The results show that the out-of-plane bending does not control the buckling behavior of the steel plates, so the proposed equations for minimum depth of cover can be appropriately used for practical purposes.

Investigations and results concerning railway-induced ground-borne vibrations in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degen, K. G.; Behr, W.; Grütz, H.-P.

2006-06-01

Besides noise reduction, ground-borne vibrations induced by railways are another important environmental issue associated with the construction of new or the reconstruction of existing railway lines that had to be tackled during the last decade. Annoyance can occur, particularly for lines in urban areas at small distances to neighbouring houses or lines in shallow depth tunnels under buildings. The ground-borne vibrations can be perceived by the inhabitants via the floor vibrations, as well as via the air-borne noise radiated inside the building by the vibrating building structures (secondary noise). At present, legal specifications for judging railway-induced ground-borne vibrations do not exist in Germany. In order to review common practices, an experimental psycho-physical laboratory study was performed. To estimate the annoyance of railway-induced vibrations, the mean vibration energy of a train pass-by seems much more significant and related to the annoyance than the commonly used RMS value according to the German standard DIN 4150-2. The minimum difference in vibration that can be felt by people was found at a signal difference of 25%. This paper will review results of a project performed in cooperation with the engineering office Obermeyer in Munich and the Technical University of Munich [A. Said, D. Fleischer, H. Kilcher, H. Fastl, H.-P. Grütz, Zur Bewertung von Erschütterungsimmissionen aus dem Schienenverkehr, Zeitschrift fuer Lärmbekämpfung, Vol. 48(6), Springer VDI Verlag, Düsseldorf, 2001.] and will link them to further demands on research and on development of suitable guiding principles and legislative regulations.

Appraisal on Rail Transit Development: A Review on Train Services and Safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordin, Noor Hafiza binti; Masirin, Mohd Idrus Haji Mohd; Ghazali, Mohd Imran bin; Azis, Mohd Isom bin

2017-08-01

The ever increasing problems faced by population around the world have made demands that transportation need to be improved as an effective and efficient communication means. It is considered as a necessity especially when rapid development and economic growth of a country is the agenda. Among the transportation modes being focused as critical facilities are the bus system, rail system, road network, shipping system and air transportation system. Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In Malaysia, the railway network has evolved tremendously since its inception in the early 19th century. It has grown proportionally with the national development. Railway network does not only mean for rural transportation, but it also considered as a solution to urban congestion challenges. Currently, urban rail transit is the most popular means of urban transportation system especially as big cities such as Kuala Lumpur. This paper presents the definition of rail transportation system and its role in urban or sub-urban operation. It also describes the brief history of world railway transportation including a discussion on Malaysian rail history perspective. As policy and standard are important in operating a railway system, this paper also illustrates and discusses some elements which have an impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of train operation. Towards the end, this paper also shares the importance of railway safety based on real case studies around the world. Thus, it is hoped that this paper will enable the public to understand the rail transit development and appreciate its existence as a public transportation system.

Structural impact response for assessing railway vibration induced on buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouroussis, Georges; Mouzakis, Harris P.; Vogiatzis, Konstantinos E.

2018-03-01

Over the syears, the rapid growth in railway infrastructure has led to numerous environmental challenges. One such significant issue, particularly in urban areas, is ground-borne vibration. A common source of ground-borne vibration is caused by local defects (e.g. rail joints, switches, turnouts, etc.) that generate large amplitude excitations at isolated locations. Modelling these excitation sources is particularly challenging and requires the use of complex and extensive computational efforts. For some situations, the use of experiments and measured data offers a rapid way to estimate the effect of such defects and to evaluate the railway vibration levels using a scoping approach. In this paper, the problem of railway-induced ground vibrations is presented along with experimental studies to assess the ground vibration and ground borne noise levels, with a particular focus on the structural response of sensitive buildings. The behaviour of particular building foundations is evaluated through experimental data collected in Brussels Region, by presenting the expected frequency responses for various types of buildings, taking into account both the soil-structure interaction and the tramway track response. A second study is dedicated to the Athens metro, where transmissibility functions are used to analyse the effect of various Athenian building face to metro network trough comprehensive measurement campaigns. This allows the verification of appropriate vibration mitigation measures. These benchmark applications based on experimental results have been proved to be efficient to treat a complex problem encountered in practice in urban areas, where the urban rail network interacts with important local defects and where the rise of railway ground vibration problems has clearly been identified.

Evaluation of odometry algorithm performances using a railway vehicle dynamic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allotta, B.; Pugi, L.; Ridolfi, A.; Malvezzi, M.; Vettori, G.; Rindi, A.

2012-05-01

In modern railway Automatic Train Protection and Automatic Train Control systems, odometry is a safety relevant on-board subsystem which estimates the instantaneous speed and the travelled distance of the train; a high reliability of the odometry estimate is fundamental, since an error on the train position may lead to a potentially dangerous overestimation of the distance available for braking. To improve the odometry estimate accuracy, data fusion of different inputs coming from a redundant sensor layout may be used. Simplified two-dimensional models of railway vehicles have been usually used for Hardware in the Loop test rig testing of conventional odometry algorithms and of on-board safety relevant subsystems (like the Wheel Slide Protection braking system) in which the train speed is estimated from the measures of the wheel angular speed. Two-dimensional models are not suitable to develop solutions like the inertial type localisation algorithms (using 3D accelerometers and 3D gyroscopes) and the introduction of Global Positioning System (or similar) or the magnetometer. In order to test these algorithms correctly and increase odometry performances, a three-dimensional multibody model of a railway vehicle has been developed, using Matlab-Simulink™, including an efficient contact model which can simulate degraded adhesion conditions (the development and prototyping of odometry algorithms involve the simulation of realistic environmental conditions). In this paper, the authors show how a 3D railway vehicle model, able to simulate the complex interactions arising between different on-board subsystems, can be useful to evaluate the odometry algorithm and safety relevant to on-board subsystem performances.

Integration of uniform design and quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization to the robust design for a railway vehicle suspension system under different wheel conicities and wheel rolling radii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yung-Chang; Lee, Cheng-Kang

2017-10-01

This paper proposes a systematic method, integrating the uniform design (UD) of experiments and quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO), to solve the problem of a robust design for a railway vehicle suspension system. Based on the new nonlinear creep model derived from combining Hertz contact theory, Kalker's linear theory and a heuristic nonlinear creep model, the modeling and dynamic analysis of a 24 degree-of-freedom railway vehicle system were investigated. The Lyapunov indirect method was used to examine the effects of suspension parameters, wheel conicities and wheel rolling radii on critical hunting speeds. Generally, the critical hunting speeds of a vehicle system resulting from worn wheels with different wheel rolling radii are lower than those of a vehicle system having original wheels without different wheel rolling radii. Because of worn wheels, the critical hunting speed of a running railway vehicle substantially declines over the long term. For safety reasons, it is necessary to design the suspension system parameters to increase the robustness of the system and decrease the sensitive of wheel noises. By applying UD and QPSO, the nominal-the-best signal-to-noise ratio of the system was increased from -48.17 to -34.05 dB. The rate of improvement was 29.31%. This study has demonstrated that the integration of UD and QPSO can successfully reveal the optimal solution of suspension parameters for solving the robust design problem of a railway vehicle suspension system.

Predicting surface vibration from underground railways through inhomogeneous soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Simon; Hunt, Hugh

2012-04-01

Noise and vibration from underground railways is a major source of disturbance to inhabitants near subways. To help designers meet noise and vibration limits, numerical models are used to understand vibration propagation from these underground railways. However, the models commonly assume the ground is homogeneous and neglect to include local variability in the soil properties. Such simplifying assumptions add a level of uncertainty to the predictions which is not well understood. The goal of the current paper is to quantify the effect of soil inhomogeneity on surface vibration. The thin-layer method (TLM) is suggested as an efficient and accurate means of simulating vibration from underground railways in arbitrarily layered half-spaces. Stochastic variability of the soil's elastic modulus is introduced using a K-L expansion; the modulus is assumed to have a log-normal distribution and a modified exponential covariance kernel. The effect of horizontal soil variability is investigated by comparing the stochastic results for soils varied only in the vertical direction to soils with 2D variability. Results suggest that local soil inhomogeneity can significantly affect surface velocity predictions; 90 percent confidence intervals showing 8 dB averages and peak values up to 12 dB are computed. This is a significant source of uncertainty and should be considered when using predictions from models assuming homogeneous soil properties. Furthermore, the effect of horizontal variability of the elastic modulus on the confidence interval appears to be negligible. This suggests that only vertical variation needs to be taken into account when modelling ground vibration from underground railways.

Color Vision and the Railways: Part 2. Comparison of the CN Lantern Used on the Canadian Railways and Railway LED Lantern Tests.

PubMed

Dain, Stephen J; Casolin, Armand; Long, Jennifer

2015-02-01

There are two currently available lantern tests that have their design based solely on the practices of the rail industry. These are the CN Lantern (CNLAN) used on the Canadian Railways and the Railway LED Lantern Tests (RLLT). In the same way that the signaling practices differ in the two jurisdictions, the design of the lanterns also differ. The CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage)-recommended color vision standards for transport predate both lanterns. The study was undertaken to assess the appropriateness of these lanterns in CIE Color Vision Standard 1. CIE Standard 1 is called "Normal color vision" but some very mild anomalous trichromats may pass the specified "lantern test that presents a high level of difficulty." The lantern tests were undertaken by 46 color vision-normal and 37 color vision-deficient subjects. Subjects made more errors on the RLLT, and the pattern of errors is different, partly because there are blank presentations in the RLLT and "no light" is an acceptable response. The two lanterns showed agreement on the pass/fail categorization of 73 of the 83 subjects. The RLLT fails more color vision-normal subjects. Despite the different construction principles, the RLLT and CNLAN have pass/fail levels that are comparable with the Holmes-Wright Type B lantern, which is nominated in CIE Color Vision Standard 1 but is no longer commercially available. The higher failure rate of color vision-normal subjects on the RLLT has been addressed by changing the intensities of the two darkest red lights.

Semiotic Activity of Young Children in Play: The Construction and Use of Schematic Representations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Oers, Bert

1994-01-01

Examined four- through six-year olds' ability to diagram the configuration of a toy railway set they had assembled and to reconstruct the railway based on drawings. Found that motivation had a significant influence on the accuracy of drawings. Results suggest that semiotic activity with the help of schematic representations or drawings is in the…

77 FR 3840 - Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.-Lease Exemption-Line of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-25

... Railroad, Ltd.--Lease Exemption--Line of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company AGENCY: Surface... from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10902 for Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd. (IAIS), a Class II rail carrier, to lease and operate 8.4 miles of railroad owned by Cedar Rapids & Iowa City...

27 CFR 9.204 - Tracy Hills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... and Lammers Ferry Road, along the western boundary line of section 6, T3S/R5E. From the beginning... Western Pacific Railway line along the southern boundary line of section 6, T3S/R5E (Tracy map); then (2) Proceed 5.6 miles straight east along the Western Pacific Railway line and then along Linne Road to the...

78 FR 3497 - KM Railways, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-DTE Chicago Fuels Terminal, LLC and DTE Coal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-16

... Southern Railway Company in Chicago, Cook County, Ill.\\3\\ \\1\\ KMR is indirectly owned by noncarrier Koch Industries, Inc. (Koch). In addition to KMR, Koch also controls directly or indirectly three other Class III... Augustine Railroad, LLC), and Koch has sought Board authority to control a fourth Class III rail carrier...

77 FR 49862 - Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Railway Company-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Union Pacific...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

..., Big Trees & Pacific Railway Company at milepost 20.4 in Santa Cruz, Cal., and an additional 3.6 miles... respect to the Line. The petition will be addressed in a separate decision. The transaction may be... Class II or Class I rail carrier and will not exceed $5 million. If the verified notice contains false...

78 FR 73585 - The Three Rivers Railway Company-Corporate Family Merger Exemption-Mahoning State Line Railroad...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-06

... Railway Company--Corporate Family Merger Exemption--Mahoning State Line Railroad Company The Three Rivers... filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(3) for a corporate family transaction... intends to merge MSLR into TRRC on or after that date. This is a transaction within a corporate family of...

Creating Intelligent Computer Workstation of a Freight Officer in a Single Information Space of Railway Transport: Synergetic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malybaev, Saken K.; Malaybaev, Nurlan S.; Isina, Botakoz M.; Kenzhekeeva, Akbope R.; Khuangan, Nurbol

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of researches aimed at the creation of automated workplaces for railway transport specialists with the help of intelligent information systems. The analysis of tendencies of information technologies development in the transport network was conducted. It was determined that the most effective approach is to create…

77 FR 12909 - Eastern Maine Railway Company-Assignment of Trackage Rights Exemption-Montreal, Maine & Atlantic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-02

.... (MMA) has agreed to assign its overhead trackage rights to the Eastern Maine Railway Company (EMR) over... from MMA and to operate 28.75 miles of rail line. MMA, the former owner of the Line, proposed to... operator.\\3\\ In anticipation of MNRC service, MMA acquired trackage rights over the Line to continue to...

77 FR 5629 - Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation-Trackage Rights Exemption-Chicago, Central...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... Railway--Trackage Rights--Burlington Northern, Inc., 354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast Railway--Lease & Operate--California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980). This notice is filed under... initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing...

77 FR 49863 - Pacific Imperial Railroad, Inc.-Change in Operator Exemption-Rail Line of San Diego and Arizona...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

... Railroad, Inc.--Change in Operator Exemption-- Rail Line of San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company... Plaster City, Cal. (Desert Line).\\2\\ The Desert Line is owned by San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway... Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, and SD&IV. \\1\\ CGR was authorized to operate the Desert...

78 FR 4981 - Pacific Imperial Railroad, Inc.-Change in Operator Exemption-Rail Line of San Diego and Arizona...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-23

... Railroad, Inc.--Change in Operator Exemption-- Rail Line of San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company... 1150.31 to change operators from San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad Company, Inc. (SDIY) \\1\\ to PIR... City, Cal. (Desert Line). The Desert Line is owned by San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company (SD...

78 FR 65040 - BNSF Railway Company, CBEC Railway Inc., Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd., and Union Pacific...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-30

.... The first segment will be relocated to the west of Mosquito Creek. This segment is located between... miles. That portion of CBEC's main line will be relocated to the west bank of Mosquito Creek between... between their newly constructed and parallel main lines on the west side of Mosquito Creek at a point...

Diagnostic System Based on the Human AUDITORY-BRAIN Model for Measuring Environmental NOISE—AN Application to Railway Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SAKAI, H.; HOTEHAMA, T.; ANDO, Y.; PRODI, N.; POMPOLI, R.

2002-02-01

Measurements of railway noise were conducted by use of a diagnostic system of regional environmental noise. The system is based on the model of the human auditory-brain system. The model consists of the interplay of autocorrelators and an interaural crosscorrelator acting on the pressure signals arriving at the ear entrances, and takes into account the specialization of left and right human cerebral hemispheres. Different kinds of railway noise were measured through binaural microphones of a dummy head. To characterize the railway noise, physical factors, extracted from the autocorrelation functions (ACF) and interaural crosscorrelation function (IACF) of binaural signals, were used. The factors extracted from ACF were (1) energy represented at the origin of the delay, Φ (0), (2) effective duration of the envelope of the normalized ACF, τe, (3) the delay time of the first peak, τ1, and (4) its amplitude,ø1 . The factors extracted from IACF were (5) IACC, (6) interaural delay time at which the IACC is defined, τIACC, and (7) width of the IACF at the τIACC,WIACC . The factor Φ (0) can be represented as a geometrical mean of energies at both ears as listening level, LL.

Identification of characteristic frequencies of damaged railway tracks using field hammer test measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oregui, M.; Li, Z.; Dollevoet, R.

2015-03-01

In this paper, the feasibility of the Frequency Response Function (FRF)-based statistical method to identify the characteristic frequencies of railway track defects is studied. The method compares a damaged track state to a healthy state based on non-destructive field hammer test measurements. First, a study is carried out to investigate the repeatability of hammer tests in railway tracks. By changing the excitation and measurement locations it is shown that the variability introduced by the test process is negligible. Second, following the concepts of control charts employed in process monitoring, a method to define an approximate healthy state is introduced by using hammer test measurements at locations without visual damage. Then, the feasibility study includes an investigation into squats (i.e. a major type of rail surface defect) of varying severity. The identified frequency ranges related to squats agree with those found in an extensively validated vehicle-borne detection system. Therefore, the FRF-based statistical method in combination with the non-destructive hammer test measurements has the potential to be employed to identify the characteristic frequencies of damaged conditions in railway tracks in the frequency range of 300-3000 Hz.

Regulation of the Dynamic Live Load Factor for Calculation of Bridge Structures on High-Speed Railway Mainlines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyachenko, Leonid K.; Benin, Andrey V.

2017-06-01

When the high-speed railway traffic is being organized, it becomes necessary to elaborate bridge design standards for high-speed railways (HSR). Methodology of studying the issues of HSR bridge design is based on the comprehensive analysis of domestic research as well as international experience in design, construction and operation of high-speed railways. Serious requirements are imposed on the HSR artificial structures, which raise a number of scientific tasks associated mainly with the issues of the dynamic interaction of the rolling stock and the bridge elements. To ensure safety of traffic and reliability of bridges during the whole period of operation one needs to resolve the dynamic problems of various types of high-speed trains moving along the structures. The article analyses dependences of the magnitude of inertial response on the external stress parameters and proposes a simplified method of determination of the dynamic live load factor caused by the passage of high-speed trains. The usefulness of the given research arises from the reduction of complexity of the complicated dynamic calculations needed to describe a high-speed train travelling along the artificial structures.

Impact capacity reduction in railway prestressed concrete sleepers with vertical holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngamkhanong, Chayut; Li, Dan; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat

2017-09-01

Railway prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties) are principally designed in order to carry wheel loads from the rails to the ground as well as to secure rail gauge for dynamic safe movements of trains. In spite of the most common use of the prestressed concrete sleepers in railway tracks, the concrete sleepers are often modified on construction sites to fit in other systems such as cables, signalling gears, drainage pipes, etc. This is because those signalling, fibre optic, equipment cables are often damaged either by ballast corners or by tamping machine. It is thus necessary to modify concrete sleepers to cater cables internally so that the cables or drainage pipes would not experience detrimental or harsh environments. Accordingly, this study will extend from the previous study into the design criteria of holes and web openings. This paper will highlight structural capacity of concrete sleepers under dynamic transient loading. The modified compression field theory for ultimate strength design of concrete sleepers will be highlighted in this study. The outcome of this study will improve the understanding into dynamic behavior of prestressed concrete sleepers with vertical holes. The insight will enable predictive track maintenance regime in railway industry.

Level and Determinants of Knowledge of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis among Railway Workers in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Menke, J. Michael; Challakere Ramaswamy, Vasudeva Murthy; Abdul Manaf, Rizal; Alabsi, Aied M.; Al-Dubai, Sami Abdo Radman

2014-01-01

Background. Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, an ancient malady greatly impairing modern population quality of life, has stimulated global attention to find effective modes of prevention and intervention. Purpose. This study aimed to assess factors affecting knowledge of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (knee OA) among Malaysian railway workers. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 513 railway workers involving eight major states within Peninsular Malaysia using population-based sampling. The assessment instrument was a face-validated, prepiloted, self-administered instrument with sociodemographics and knowledge items on knee OA. Results. Mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 41.4 (±10.7), with the majority aged 50 years or older (34.9%). Of the total respondents, 53.6% had low levels of knowledge of knee OA disease. Multivariate analysis found that four demographic predictors, age ≥50 years, family history of knee OA, self-awareness, and clinical diagnosis of the disease entity, were significantly associated with knowledge scores. Conclusion. The finding of a low level knee OA knowledge among Malaysian railway workers points to an urgent need for massive information to be disseminated among the workers at risk to foster primary prevention and self-care. PMID:24701573

[Railway use of asbestos-containing rubble: environmental hygienic aspects].

PubMed

Kaptsov, V A; Kashanskiĭ, S V; Domnin, S G; Tikhova, T S; Trofimova, E V; Novoselova, T A; Bogdanov, G B

2003-01-01

The paper presents the results of a study of the gravimetric and counting concentrations of respirable asbestos fibers while working with sand-and-crushed stone mixtures, obtained from the concentration of chrysotile asbestos, at distances of 25, 50, and 100 m from the working place, as well as in a car saloon when the electric train passes along the area of these operations following an hour, a day, and a year after the completion of work, in warm and colds seasons of a year. It is concluded that the use of asbestos-containing sand-and-crushed stone mixtures on the railway leads to a higher anthropogenic asbestos load on the population living in the railway right-of-way, on railway workers and passengers. In this connection, it is necessary to evaluate risk factors of asbestos-induced diseases among the above contingents. The authors consider that due to the fact that asbestos-containing sand-and-crushed stone mixtures are well wetted with water, followed by the formation of a firm surface crust that prevents dust formation, as well as the short duration and rare frequency of operations relating their change, it is necessary to irrigate the repair areas with water or surfactant liquids after work termination.

Integral Sensor Fault Detection and Isolation for Railway Traction Drive.

PubMed

Garramiola, Fernando; Del Olmo, Jon; Poza, Javier; Madina, Patxi; Almandoz, Gaizka

2018-05-13

Due to the increasing importance of reliability and availability of electric traction drives in Railway applications, early detection of faults has become an important key for Railway traction drive manufacturers. Sensor faults are important sources of failures. Among the different fault diagnosis approaches, in this article an integral diagnosis strategy for sensors in traction drives is presented. Such strategy is composed of an observer-based approach for direct current (DC)-link voltage and catenary current sensors, a frequency analysis approach for motor current phase sensors and a hardware redundancy solution for speed sensors. None of them requires any hardware change requirement in the actual traction drive. All the fault detection and isolation approaches have been validated in a Hardware-in-the-loop platform comprising a Real Time Simulator and a commercial Traction Control Unit for a tram. In comparison to safety-critical systems in Aerospace applications, Railway applications do not need instantaneous detection, and the diagnosis is validated in a short time period for reliable decision. Combining the different approaches and existing hardware redundancy, an integral fault diagnosis solution is provided, to detect and isolate faults in all the sensors installed in the traction drive.

Integral Sensor Fault Detection and Isolation for Railway Traction Drive

PubMed Central

del Olmo, Jon; Poza, Javier; Madina, Patxi; Almandoz, Gaizka

2018-01-01

Due to the increasing importance of reliability and availability of electric traction drives in Railway applications, early detection of faults has become an important key for Railway traction drive manufacturers. Sensor faults are important sources of failures. Among the different fault diagnosis approaches, in this article an integral diagnosis strategy for sensors in traction drives is presented. Such strategy is composed of an observer-based approach for direct current (DC)-link voltage and catenary current sensors, a frequency analysis approach for motor current phase sensors and a hardware redundancy solution for speed sensors. None of them requires any hardware change requirement in the actual traction drive. All the fault detection and isolation approaches have been validated in a Hardware-in-the-loop platform comprising a Real Time Simulator and a commercial Traction Control Unit for a tram. In comparison to safety-critical systems in Aerospace applications, Railway applications do not need instantaneous detection, and the diagnosis is validated in a short time period for reliable decision. Combining the different approaches and existing hardware redundancy, an integral fault diagnosis solution is provided, to detect and isolate faults in all the sensors installed in the traction drive. PMID:29757251

Controlled Blasting for Deconstruction of a Railway Bridge Near Sahibganj

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, S. K.; Ghosh, A. K.; Oraon, S.

2018-06-01

Some of the Indian Railway bridges require reconstruction for electrification and expansion of railway tracks. Dismantling of bridge within time schedule in densely populated area requires controlled and pre-planned blasting methodology for safe pulling down of the structure and quick removal of blasted debris for fast restoration of tracks and smooth plying of trains. The three arched railway bridge (Bridge No. 61) located between Sahibganj and Karamtola cases one such example where the bridge was dismantled and the track was restored within 4 h of blasting, though the stipulated block period for demolition and restoration of tracks was 6 h. The 25.48 m long three-arched bridge was drilled and blasted with 225 number of blastholes (32 mm diameter) and 100 kg explosive (25 mm diameter). Length of blastholes varied between 0.5 and 1.8 m with blast geometry of 0.3-0.35 m burden and 0.33 m spacing. This paper deals with the conceptual and theoretical model developed for identification of the key locations for drilling and implementation of the same. It also discusses about the precautionary measures and the drilling pattern adopted for quick demolition and speedy restoration of tracks.

Life cycle analysis of mitigation methodologies for railway rolling noise and groundbourne vibration.

PubMed

Tuler, Mariana Valente; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat

2017-04-15

Negative outcomes such as noise and vibration generated by railways have become a challenge for both industry and academia in order to guarantee that the railway system can accomplish its purposes and at the same time provide comfort for users and people living in the neighbourhood along the railway corridor. The research interest on this field has been increasing and the advancement in noise and vibration mitigation methodologies can be observed using various engineering techniques that are constantly put into test to solve such effects. In contrast, the life cycle analysis of the mitigation measures has not been thoroughly carried out. There is also a lack of detailed evaluation in the efficiency of various mechanisms for controlling rolling noise and ground-borne vibration. This research is thus focussed on the evaluation of materials used, the total cost associated with the maintenance of such the measures and the carbon footprint left for each type of mechanism. The insight into carbon footprint together with life cycle cost will benefit decision making process for the industry in the selection of optimal and suitable mechanism since the environmental impact is a growing concern around the world. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlled Blasting for Deconstruction of a Railway Bridge Near Sahibganj

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, S. K.; Ghosh, A. K.; Oraon, S.

2018-02-01

Some of the Indian Railway bridges require reconstruction for electrification and expansion of railway tracks. Dismantling of bridge within time schedule in densely populated area requires controlled and pre-planned blasting methodology for safe pulling down of the structure and quick removal of blasted debris for fast restoration of tracks and smooth plying of trains. The three arched railway bridge (Bridge No. 61) located between Sahibganj and Karamtola cases one such example where the bridge was dismantled and the track was restored within 4 h of blasting, though the stipulated block period for demolition and restoration of tracks was 6 h. The 25.48 m long three-arched bridge was drilled and blasted with 225 number of blastholes (32 mm diameter) and 100 kg explosive (25 mm diameter). Length of blastholes varied between 0.5 and 1.8 m with blast geometry of 0.3-0.35 m burden and 0.33 m spacing. This paper deals with the conceptual and theoretical model developed for identification of the key locations for drilling and implementation of the same. It also discusses about the precautionary measures and the drilling pattern adopted for quick demolition and speedy restoration of tracks.

Innovative Railway Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rzepnicka, Sylwia; Załuski, Daniel

2017-10-01

In relation to modern demographic trends, evolving technologies and environment-friendly solutions increases the potential of rail considered as sustainable form of public transport. Contemporary tendencies of designing railway stations in Europe are focused on lowering energy consumption and reducing carbon emission. The main goal of the designers is to create a friendly and intuitive space for its users and at the same time a building that uses renewable energy sources and minimizes negative impact on the environment by the increase of biologically active areas, reuse of rainwater and greywater, innovative heating and cooling solutions and reduction of energy losses. The optimisation of a life circle in railway architecture introduces new approach to passenger service. Examples mentioned in the content of this article help to synthesize changes in approach to the design within the context of sustainability.

[Improvement of sanitary and epidemiological safety of rail transport--a requirement of the new legislation of the Russian Federation].

PubMed

2012-01-01

Brief analysis of the legal framework in recent years, both in the sphere of technical regulation, and in the field of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population is presented in this article. The necessity of inclusion in the technical regulations for the safety of railway rolling stock and elements of railway infrastructure the requirements for sanitary-epidemiological safety and hygiene regulations has been proved. Fragments of technical regulations for railway equipment and infrastructure elements, including the basic requirements for the sanitary-epidemiological security are presented. The position of authors in the processing of the regulatory framework in the field of sanitary-epidemiological welfare of population in standardization documents in accordance with the requirements of federal law "On technical regulation" has been reflected.

Effective Crack Detection in Railway Axles Using Vibration Signals and WPT Energy.

PubMed

Gómez, María Jesús; Corral, Eduardo; Castejón, Cristina; García-Prada, Juan Carlos

2018-05-17

Crack detection for railway axles is key to avoiding catastrophic accidents. Currently, non-destructive testing is used for that purpose. The present work applies vibration signal analysis to diagnose cracks in real railway axles installed on a real Y21 bogie working on a rig. Vibration signals were obtained from two wheelsets with cracks at the middle section of the axle with depths from 5.7 to 15 mm, at several conditions of load and speed. Vibration signals were processed by means of wavelet packet transform energy. Energies obtained were used to train an artificial neural network, with reliable diagnosis results. The success rate of 5.7 mm defects was 96.27%, and the reliability in detecting larger defects reached almost 100%, with a false alarm ratio lower than 5.5%.

Application of the "Behind the Barriers" resilience conceptual model to a flooded rail transport system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzva, Michael; Barroca, Bruno

2017-04-01

The vulnerability of guided transport systems facing natural hazards is a burning issue for the urban risks management. Experience feedbacks on guided transport systems show they are particularly vulnerable to natural risks, especially flood risks. Besides, the resilience concept is used as a systemic approach for making an accurate analysis of the effect of these natural risks on rail guided transport systems. In this context, several conceptual models of resilience are elaborated for presenting the various possible resilience strategies applied to urban technical systems. One of this resilience conceptual model is the so-called "Behind The Barriers" model based on the identification of four complementary types of resilience: (i) cognitive resilience, linked to knowledge of the risk and the potential failures; (ii) functional resilience, representing the capacity of a system to protect itself from damage while continuing to provide services; (iii) correlative resilience, that characterises the relationship between service demand and the capacity of the system to respond; (iv) organisational resilience, expressing the capacity to mobilise an area much wider than the one affected. In addition to the work already published during the 7th Resilience Engineering Symposium, the purpose of this paper is to offer an application of a resilience conceptual model, the "Behind the Barriers" model, relating to a specific urban technical system, the public guided transport system, and facing a particular risk, a flood hazard. To do that, the paper is focused on a past incident on a French Intercity railway line as a studied case. Indeed, on June 18th and 19th 2013, the rise of the level of the "Gave de Pau" river, located in the municipality of Coarraze, caused many disorders on the intercity line serving the cities of Tarbes, Pau and Lourdes . Among the disorders caused by the flooding, about 100 meters of railway embankments were collapsed. With a constraint to reopen the line before August 15th, reinforcements were studied in order to stabilize the railway embankment. During the works, substitute shuttle service was set up, providing services between cities. This French past incident is studied through the "Behind The Barriers" model: i. cognitive resilience: what was the level of knowledge of the stakeholders concerning the flood hazard?; ii. functional resilience: what could be done in order to maintain the railway service between the cities?; iii. correlative resilience: what was the operator's response about the service demand with respect to the capacity of the railway line to ensure service?; iv. organizational resilience: what was the mobilization of the impacted cities, the impacted French department, the National authorities… on a wider scale than the flooded area in order to restore the line? The paper gives the main qualitative conclusions of the application of the "Behind The Barriers" model to this railway flooding event. The relevance of these conclusions are also confronted with feedbacks from other experienced railway incidents due to flooding events: on October 2015, heavy rains in French Region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur that provoked damages of railway equipments in Cannes and Marseille cities; on June 2016, the rise of the Seine River in Paris strongly impacted intercity railway lines and subway lines.

CAD/CAE-technologies application for assessment of passenger safety on railway transport in emergency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antipin, D. Ya; Shorokhov, S. G.; Bondarenko, O. I.

2018-03-01

A possibility of using current software products realizing CAD/CAE-technologies for the assessment of passenger safety in emergency cases on railway transport has been analyzed. On the basis of the developed solid computer model of an anthropometric dummy, the authors carried out an analysis of possible levels of passenger injury during accident collision of a train with an obstacle.

78 FR 68147 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-13

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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

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Road Traffic and Railway Noise Exposures and Adiposity in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Cohort

PubMed Central

Christensen, Jeppe Schultz; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Tjønneland, Anne; Overvad, Kim; Nordsborg, Rikke B.; Ketzel, Matthias; Sørensen, Thorkild IA; Sørensen, Mette

2015-01-01

Background Traffic noise has been associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Potential modes of action are through stress and sleep disturbance, which may lead to endocrine dysregulation and overweight. Objectives We aimed to investigate the relationship between residential traffic and railway noise and adiposity. Methods In this cross-sectional study of 57,053 middle-aged people, height, weight, waist circumference, and bioelectrical impedance were measured at enrollment (1993–1997). Body mass index (BMI), body fat mass index (BFMI), and lean body mass index (LBMI) were calculated. Residential exposure to road and railway traffic noise exposure was calculated using the Nordic prediction method. Associations between traffic noise and anthropometric measures at enrollment were analyzed using general linear models and logistic regression adjusted for demographic and lifestyle factors. Results Linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic factors showed that 5-year mean road traffic noise exposure preceding enrollment was associated with a 0.35-cm wider waist circumference (95% CI: 0.21, 0.50) and a 0.18-point higher BMI (95% CI: 0.12, 0.23) per 10 dB. Small, significant increases were also found for BFMI and LBMI. All associations followed linear exposure–response relationships. Exposure to railway noise was not linearly associated with adiposity measures. However, exposure > 60 dB was associated with a 0.71-cm wider waist circumference (95% CI: 0.23, 1.19) and a 0.19-point higher BMI (95% CI: 0.0072, 0.37) compared with unexposed participants (0–20 dB). Conclusions The present study finds positive associations between residential exposure to road traffic and railway noise and adiposity. Citation Christensen JS, Raaschou-Nielsen O, Tjønneland A, Overvad K, Nordsborg RB, Ketzel M, Sørensen TI, Sørensen M. 2016. Road traffic and railway noise exposures and adiposity in adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort. Environ Health Perspect 124:329–335; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409052 PMID:26241990

Utilization of bagasse and coconut fibers waste as fillers of sandwich composite for bridge railway sleepers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soehardjo, K. A.; Basuki, A.

2017-07-01

The bridge railway sleepers is an essential component in the construction of railways, as the foundation of the rail support in order to withstand the load a train that runs above it. Sleepers used in bridge construction are expected to have a longer service life, lighter weight and durable so that can be used more efficient. This research was carried out to create a model of bridges railway sleepers made of sandwich structured composite from fiber glass, epoxy resin with fillers waste of bagasse (sugar cane pulp mill) or coconut fiberboard (copra industry) that using polyurethane as an adhesive. The process of making was conditioned for small and medium industrial applications. Railway sleepers’ specifications adapted to meet the requirements of end user. The process steps in this research include; lay-up fiberglass combined with bagasse/coconut fiberboard (as fillers), gluing with epoxy resin, molded it with pressure to be solid, curing after solidification process. The specimens of composite, bagasse and coconut fiber board were tested for tensile and compressive strength. The prototype were tested of mechanical test: flexural moment test to the stand rail, flexural moment test to the middle of the sleepers and tensile strength test on one side of the sleepers, in accordance to SNI 11-3388-1994 Method testing of single block concrete sleepers and bearing single rail fastening systems. The results of mechanical testing all variations meet the technical specifications of end user such as test results for flexural moment on all prototypes, after load test, there is no visible crack. While in the tensile strength test, it seem the prototype with coconut fiberboard filler, shows better performance than bagasse fiberboard filler, the decisions is just depended on techno economic and lifetime.

Association between environmental noise and subjective symptoms related to cardiovascular diseases among elderly individuals in Japan.

PubMed

Azuma, Kenichi; Uchiyama, Iwao

2017-01-01

Noise in housing environments may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs); however, the most significant sources of noise among elderly individuals remain poorly understood. A nationwide cross-sectional study comprised of 6,181 elderly people (age ≥ 65 years) was conducted using a web-based self-reported questionnaire in 2014. Questions pertaining to CVD-related subjective symptoms within the past year addressed symptoms of chest pain, disturbances in pulse, acute impaired tongue movement, limb paralysis, and foot pain or numbness during walking. Questions concerning noise included awakening during the night due to noise, automobile, neighborhood, construction, railway, and aircraft noise. The multivariable analyses revealed that all symptoms were significantly associated with awakening during the night due to noise. Automobile, construction, railway, and aircraft noise were significantly associated with more CVD-related symptoms at nighttime than at daytime. Our results suggest that noise at nighttime is an important risk factor for CVDs. Although several different sources of environmental noise, including automobile, neighborhood, construction, railway, and aircraft noise were found to be significantly associated with CVD-related symptoms, the strongest association was observed for construction noise, followed by neighborhood and automobile noise. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for construction noise at nighttime were 1.12 (1.06-1.19) with disturbances in pulse, 1.21 (1.08-1.35) in acute impaired tongue movement, 1.25 (1.15-1.36) in limb paralysis, and 1.19 (1.12-1.28) in foot pain or numbness during walking. The associations with railway and aircraft noise were found to be weaker than those with automobile, neighborhood, and construction noise. Our study suggests that CVD-related symptoms may exhibit a greater association with construction, neighborhood, and automobile noise than with railway and aircraft noise.

[Formation of working conditions and the problems of hygienic assessment of industrial environmental factors in railway tunnels].

PubMed

Kurenkova, G V; Lemeshevskaya, E P

Tunnels are an integral part of the ways and artificial constructions of the railway. Objective assessment of working conditions is important, because current regulations fail to allow to give a definite hygienic assessment of some factors of the production environment of the tunnels. Objective: to reveal the peculiarities of the formation of working conditions in railway tunnels with the subsequent hygienic assessment for the development of preventive measures. Measurement of the factors of working process and working environment is carried out with the use of the certified equipment for the approved the hygienic and sanitary-chemical methods in workplaces in tunnels of the East-Siberian railway. Specific conditions were shown to be formed due to constructive solutions, climate and geographical location, the length of railway tunnels, the composition of the rocks through which the tunnel, the nature of the maintenance tunnels, ventilation system, repetition rate and type of passing rolling stock. All employees from occupational groups from examined tunnels were established to be exposed to high concentrations of aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic action, noise levels, adverse climate (low positive and negative temperatures, high relative humidity and mobility of air), the lack of natural lighting, low levels of artificial light, hard exertion of labor (dynamic physical load, working position, the slopes of the body, movement in space). Additionally, high levels of the vibration, nonionizing and ionizing radiation were typical for jobs of the Baikal and the North-Muya tunnel. There is proposed the algorithm of hygienic assessment of the microclimate, light environment at the working places depending on the time of the works in the underground conditions and constructional features of tunnels, methods of accounting personnel dose rates from natural sources.

Road Traffic and Railway Noise Exposures and Adiposity in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Cohort.

PubMed

Christensen, Jeppe Schultz; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Tjønneland, Anne; Overvad, Kim; Nordsborg, Rikke B; Ketzel, Matthias; Sørensen, Thorkild Ia; Sørensen, Mette

2016-03-01

Traffic noise has been associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Potential modes of action are through stress and sleep disturbance, which may lead to endocrine dysregulation and overweight. We aimed to investigate the relationship between residential traffic and railway noise and adiposity. In this cross-sectional study of 57,053 middle-aged people, height, weight, waist circumference, and bioelectrical impedance were measured at enrollment (1993-1997). Body mass index (BMI), body fat mass index (BFMI), and lean body mass index (LBMI) were calculated. Residential exposure to road and railway traffic noise exposure was calculated using the Nordic prediction method. Associations between traffic noise and anthropometric measures at enrollment were analyzed using general linear models and logistic regression adjusted for demographic and lifestyle factors. Linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic factors showed that 5-year mean road traffic noise exposure preceding enrollment was associated with a 0.35-cm wider waist circumference (95% CI: 0.21, 0.50) and a 0.18-point higher BMI (95% CI: 0.12, 0.23) per 10 dB. Small, significant increases were also found for BFMI and LBMI. All associations followed linear exposure-response relationships. Exposure to railway noise was not linearly associated with adiposity measures. However, exposure > 60 dB was associated with a 0.71-cm wider waist circumference (95% CI: 0.23, 1.19) and a 0.19-point higher BMI (95% CI: 0.0072, 0.37) compared with unexposed participants (0-20 dB). The present study finds positive associations between residential exposure to road traffic and railway noise and adiposity.

Detection of damaged supports under railway track based on frequency shift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Longqi; Zhang, Yao; Lie, Seng Tjhen

2017-03-01

In railway transportation systems, the tracks are usually fastened on sleepers which are supported by the ballast. A lot of research has been conducted to guarantee the safety of railway track because of its importance, and more concern is expressed about monitoring of track itself such as railway level and alignment. The ballast and fasteners which provide strong support to the railway track are important as well whereas the detection of loose or missing fasteners and damaged ballast mainly relies on visual inspection. Although it is reliable when the fastener is missing and the damaged ballast is on the surface, it provides less help if the fastener is only loose and the damaged ballast is under the sleepers, which are however frequently observed in practice. This paper proposes an approach based on frequency shift to identify the damaged supports including the loose or missing fasteners and damaged ballast. In this study, the rail-sleeper-ballast system is modeled as an Euler beam evenly supported by a series of springs, the stiffness of which are reduced when the fastener is loose or missing and the ballast under the sleepers is damaged. An auxiliary mass is utilized herein and when it is mounted on the beam, the natural frequencies of the whole system will change with respect to the location of the auxiliary mass. The auxiliary mass induced frequency shift is analyzed and it is found the natural frequencies change periodically when the supports are undamaged, whereas the periodicity will be broken due to damaged supports. In fact, the natural frequencies drop clearly when the auxiliary mass moves over the damaged support. A special damage index only using the information of the damaged states is proposed and both numerical and experimental examples are carried out to validate the proposed method.

Vibration syndrome in railway track maintenance workers.

PubMed

Virokannas, H; Anttonen, H; Niskanen, J

1995-01-01

An inquiry was sent to all railway maintenance workers in three railway districts in Finland and hand-arm vibration was measured on the handlebars of tools used by maintenance workers. The study group included 252 (82%) subjects, whose mean age was 41 years and who had worked in track maintenance for 14 years (SD 9). In Finland there are over 600 railway maintenance workers who use vibrating tools. The frequency-weighted acceleration of hand-arm vibration was calculated according to the ISO 5349 standard. Hand-held tamping machines had caused most of the vibration exposure, and aw4h was 10.6 m/s2 measured on the handlebar of tamping machine, but many workers also used other vibrating tools. The annual vibration level was 2.5 m/s2 when the use of all vibrating tools and the exposure time was taken into account. In the questionnaire the prevalence of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) was 14% in the entire material, and the prevalence of VWF increased significantly with the total duration of the maintenance work. In addition, 39% of the subjects had suffered numbness of the hands, and the prevalence of hand numbness also increased significantly with the total duration of maintenance work. According to the measurements of vibration and the prevalence of hand symptoms the present investigation indicates vibration syndrome as being related to railway track maintenance work. In the exposure group, where tamping machines mainly were used and exposure to other vibration was small, the prevalence of VWF was also significantly higher, but the prevalence of hand numbness insignificant compared with the control group. In this study vascular and nerve hand symptoms were considered to cause serious trouble in work by 4-11% of the maintenance workers.

The railway suicide death of a famous German football player: impact on the subsequent frequency of railway suicide acts in Germany.

PubMed

Ladwig, Karl-Heinz; Kunrath, Sabine; Lukaschek, Karoline; Baumert, Jens

2012-01-01

The railway suicide of Robert Enke, an internationally respected German football goal keeper, sent shockwaves throughout the world of football. We analyzed its impact on the frequency of subsequent railway suicide acts (RS). Two analytic approaches were performed applying German Railway Event database Safety (EDS) data: first, an inter-year approach comparing the incidence of RS during a predefined "index period" with identical time windows in 2006 to 2008; second, an intra-year approach comparing the number of RS 28 days before and after the incidence. To analyze a possible "compensatory deficit", the number of RS in the subsequent first quarter of 2010 was compared with the identical time windows in the preceding three years. Incidence ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated by Poisson regression. Findings were controlled for temperature. Compared to the preceding three years, the incidence ratio (IR) of the number of RS in the index period increased by 1.81 (1.48-2.21; p<0.001), leading to an overall percentage change of 81% (48-121%; p<0.001). Comparing the number of suicides 28 days before and after the incidence revealed an even more pronounced increase of IR (2.2; 1.6-3.0). No modifications of these associations were observed by daytime, by location of the suicide and fatality. No compensatory deficit occurred in the post-acute period. The substantial increase of RS in the aftermath of the footballer's suicide death brought about copycat behavior in an unforeseen amount, even though the media reporting was largely sensitive and preventive measures were taken. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automatic Rail Extraction and Celarance Check with a Point Cloud Captured by Mls in a Railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niina, Y.; Honma, R.; Honma, Y.; Kondo, K.; Tsuji, K.; Hiramatsu, T.; Oketani, E.

2018-05-01

Recently, MLS (Mobile Laser Scanning) has been successfully used in a road maintenance. In this paper, we present the application of MLS for the inspection of clearance along railway tracks of West Japan Railway Company. Point clouds around the track are captured by MLS mounted on a bogie and rail position can be determined by matching the shape of the ideal rail head with respect to the point cloud by ICP algorithm. A clearance check is executed automatically with virtual clearance model laid along the extracted rail. As a result of evaluation, the accuracy of extracting rail positions is less than 3 mm. With respect to the automatic clearance check, the objects inside the clearance and the ones related to a contact line is successfully detected by visual confirmation.

An Approach for Economic Analysis of Intermodal Transportation

PubMed Central

Sahin, Bahri; Ust, Yasin; Guneri, Ali Fuat; Gulsun, Bahadir; Turan, Eda

2014-01-01

A different intermodal transportation model based on cost analysis considering technical, economical, and operational parameters is presented. The model consists of such intermodal modes as sea-road, sea-railway, road-railway, and multimode of sea-road-railway. A case study of cargo transportation has been carried out by using the suggested model. Then, the single road transportation mode has been compared to intermodal modes in terms of transportation costs. This comparison takes into account the external costs of intermodal transportation. The research reveals that, in the short distance transportation, single transportation modes always tend to be advantageous. As the transportation distance gets longer, intermodal transportation advantages begin to be effective on the costs. In addition, the proposed method in this study leads to determining the fleet size and capacity for transportation and the appropriate transportation mode. PMID:25152919

Free vibration analysis of composite railway wheels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganesan, N.; Ramesh, T. C.

1992-02-01

Composite materials have been finding increasing applications in the field of transportation. A U.S.A. patent suggesting the use of composite materials for railway wheels is the basis for this paper. In thispaper, the natural vibrations of railway wheels made of composite materials have been theoretically estimated by the finite element method and compared with those in wheels made of steel. A thick conical shell element with displacements in the axial, radial and circumferential directions has been used in the analysis. This element brings out the coupling between the different modes of vibration, and this aspect is important in the dynamic analysis of composite wheels. Three geometries of wheels and two materials (Kevlar-epoxy and graphite-epoxy) have been used in the study. For each of these materials, two fiber orientations (radial and circumferential) have been taken up and their natural frequencies determined.

Conceptual design study: Cold water pipe systems for self-mounted OTEC powerplants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-02-01

The conceptual design and installation aspects of cold water pipes (CWP) systems for shelf mounted OTEC power plants in Puerto Rico and Hawaii are considered. The CWP systems using Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) and steel were designed; the FRP, can be controlled by varying the core thickness; and steel is used as a structural material in offshore applications. A marine railway approach was chosen for installation of the CWP. Two methods for pulling the track for the railway down the pipe fairway to its final location are presented. The track is permanently fastened to the sloping seabed with piles installed by a remotely controlled cart that rides on the track itself. Both the marine railway and the shelf mounted platform that houses the OTEC power plant require an anodic or equivalent corrosion protection system.

An approach for economic analysis of intermodal transportation.

PubMed

Sahin, Bahri; Yilmaz, Huseyin; Ust, Yasin; Guneri, Ali Fuat; Gulsun, Bahadir; Turan, Eda

2014-01-01

A different intermodal transportation model based on cost analysis considering technical, economical, and operational parameters is presented. The model consists of such intermodal modes as sea-road, sea-railway, road-railway, and multimode of sea-road-railway. A case study of cargo transportation has been carried out by using the suggested model. Then, the single road transportation mode has been compared to intermodal modes in terms of transportation costs. This comparison takes into account the external costs of intermodal transportation. The research reveals that, in the short distance transportation, single transportation modes always tend to be advantageous. As the transportation distance gets longer, intermodal transportation advantages begin to be effective on the costs. In addition, the proposed method in this study leads to determining the fleet size and capacity for transportation and the appropriate transportation mode.

Vibration harvesting in traffic tunnels to power wireless sensor nodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wischke, M.; Masur, M.; Kröner, M.; Woias, P.

2011-08-01

Monitoring the traffic and the structural health of traffic tunnels requires numerous sensors. Powering these remote and partially embedded sensors from ambient energies will reduce maintenance costs, and improve the sensor network performance. This work reports on vibration levels detected in railway and road tunnels as a potential energy source for embedded sensors. The measurement results showed that the vibrations at any location in the road tunnel and at the wall in the railway tunnel are too small for useful vibration harvesting. In contrast, the railway sleeper features usable vibrations and sufficient mounting space. For this application site, a robust piezoelectric vibration harvester was designed and equipped with a power interface circuit. Within the field test, it is demonstrated that sufficient energy is harvested to supply a microcontroller with a radio frequency (RF) interface.

Replacement Condition Detection of Railway Point Machines Using an Electric Current Sensor.

PubMed

Sa, Jaewon; Choi, Younchang; Chung, Yongwha; Kim, Hee-Young; Park, Daihee; Yoon, Sukhan

2017-01-29

Detecting replacement conditions of railway point machines is important to simultaneously satisfy the budget-limit and train-safety requirements. In this study, we consider classification of the subtle differences in the aging effect-using electric current shape analysis-for the purpose of replacement condition detection of railway point machines. After analyzing the shapes of after-replacement data and then labeling the shapes of each before-replacement data, we can derive the criteria that can handle the subtle differences between "does-not-need-to-be-replaced" and "needs-to-be-replaced" shapes. On the basis of the experimental results with in-field replacement data, we confirmed that the proposed method could detect the replacement conditions with acceptable accuracy, as well as provide visual interpretability of the criteria used for the time-series classification.

Replacement Condition Detection of Railway Point Machines Using an Electric Current Sensor

PubMed Central

Sa, Jaewon; Choi, Younchang; Chung, Yongwha; Kim, Hee-Young; Park, Daihee; Yoon, Sukhan

2017-01-01

Detecting replacement conditions of railway point machines is important to simultaneously satisfy the budget-limit and train-safety requirements. In this study, we consider classification of the subtle differences in the aging effect—using electric current shape analysis—for the purpose of replacement condition detection of railway point machines. After analyzing the shapes of after-replacement data and then labeling the shapes of each before-replacement data, we can derive the criteria that can handle the subtle differences between “does-not-need-to-be-replaced” and “needs-to-be-replaced” shapes. On the basis of the experimental results with in-field replacement data, we confirmed that the proposed method could detect the replacement conditions with acceptable accuracy, as well as provide visual interpretability of the criteria used for the time-series classification. PMID:28146057

Fundamental Study of Energy Storage for Electric Railway Combining Electric Double-layer Capacitors and Battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Takeshi; Hase, Shin-Ichi; Nakamichi, Yoshinobu; Nara, Hidetaka; Uemura, Tadashi

The methods to stabilize power sources, which are the measures against voltage drop, power loading fluctuation, regenerative power lapse and so on, have been important issues in DC railway feeding circuits. Therefore, an energy storage medium that uses power efficiently and reduces above-mentioned problems is much concerned about. Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) can be charged and discharged rapidly in a short time with large power. On the other hand, a battery has a high energy density so that it is proper to be charged and discharged for a long time. Therefore, from a viewpoint of load pattern for electric railway, hybrid energy storage system combining both energy storage media may be effective. This paper introduces two methods for hybrid energy system theoretically, and describes the results of the fundamental tests.

9. "SANTA FE RAILWAY SPUR TO OPERATIONAL AREA, DIRECTORATE OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. "SANTA FE RAILWAY SPUR TO OPERATIONAL AREA, DIRECTORATE OF MISSILE CAPTIVE TEST, EDWARDS AFB"; Photo no. "11,381 57; G-AFFTC 18 SEPT 57". Test Area 1-115. Photo shows engine no. 712 pulling one car. The superstructure of Test Stand 1-4 is prominent in the background. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Leuhman Ridge near Highways 58 & 395, Boron, Kern County, CA

1. General view, east end and north side. View to ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. General view, east end and north side. View to southwest toward San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, along general alignment of former Interurban Electric Railway main line. Note truncated catenary support arms on power poles; these originally carried overhead power supply catenary line for the electrically-powered interurban cars. - Interurban Electric Railway Bridge Yard Shop, Interstate 80 at Alameda County Postmile 2.0, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Effects of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on the Landscape Genetics of the Endangered Przewalski's Gazelle (Procapra przewalskii).

PubMed

Yu, He; Song, Shiya; Liu, Jiazi; Li, Sheng; Zhang, Lu; Wang, Dajun; Luo, Shu-Jin

2017-12-21

The Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) is one of the most endangered ungulates in the world, with fewer than 2,000 individuals surviving in nine habitat fragments on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and isolated by human settlements and infrastructure. In particular, the Qinghai-Tibet railway, which crosses the largest part of the gazelle's distribution, remains a major concern because of its potential to intensify landscape genetic differentiation. Here, using mtDNA sequencing and microsatellite genotyping to analyze 275 Przewalski's gazelle samples collected throughout the range, we observed low level of genetic diversity (mtDNA π = 0.0033) and strong phylogeographic structure. Overall, the nine patches of gazelles can be further clustered into five populations, with a strong division between the eastern vs. western side of Qinghai Lake. Our study provides the first evidence of the genetic divergence between the Haergai North and Haergai South gazelle populations, corresponding to the recent construction of a wired enclosure along the Qinghai-Tibet railway less than ten years ago, an equivalent of five generations. Well-designed wildlife corridors across the railway along with long-term monitoring of the anthropogenic effects are therefore recommended to alleviate further habitat fragmentation and loss of genetic diversity in Przewalski's gazelle.

Long-Term Structural Health Monitoring System for a High-Speed Railway Bridge Structure.

PubMed

Ding, You-Liang; Wang, Gao-Xin; Sun, Peng; Wu, Lai-Yi; Yue, Qing

2015-01-01

Nanjing Dashengguan Bridge, which serves as the shared corridor crossing Yangtze River for both Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway and Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu railway, is the first 6-track high-speed railway bridge with the longest span throughout the world. In order to ensure safety and detect the performance deterioration during the long-time service of the bridge, a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system has been implemented on this bridge by the application of modern techniques in sensing, testing, computing, and network communication. The SHM system includes various sensors as well as corresponding data acquisition and transmission equipment for automatic data collection. Furthermore, an evaluation system of structural safety has been developed for the real-time condition assessment of this bridge. The mathematical correlation models describing the overall structural behavior of the bridge can be obtained with the support of the health monitoring system, which includes cross-correlation models for accelerations, correlation models between temperature and static strains of steel truss arch, and correlation models between temperature and longitudinal displacements of piers. Some evaluation results using the mean value control chart based on mathematical correlation models are presented in this paper to show the effectiveness of this SHM system in detecting the bridge's abnormal behaviors under the varying environmental conditions such as high-speed trains and environmental temperature.

A systematic review of the literature on safety measures to prevent railway suicides and trespassing accidents.

PubMed

Havârneanu, Grigore M; Burkhardt, Jean-Marie; Paran, Françoise

2015-08-01

This review covers a central aspect in railway safety which is the prevention of suicides and trespassing accidents. The paper attempts to answer the following research question: 'What measures are available to reduce railway suicide and trespass, and what is the evidence for their effectiveness?' The review is based on 139 relevant publications, ranging from 1978 to 2014. The analysis aimed to identify the past and current trend in the prevention practice by looking both quantitatively and qualitatively at the recommended measures. According to the results, there has been a constant focus on suicide prevention, and only relatively recent interest in trespass countermeasures. The content analysis revealed 19 main preventative categories which include more than 100 specific measures. We identified 16 common categories against railway suicide and trespass, and 3 categories of specific measures to prevent suicide. There are only 22 studies which provide empirical support for the effectiveness of measures. Actual combinations of measures are barely evaluated, but several challenges emerge from the literature. The discussion focuses on the need for a unified approach to suicide and trespass prevention, and on the importance to consider the effect mechanism of the measures in order to design better interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Static and dynamic behaviours of railway prestressed concrete sleepers with longitudinal through hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngamkhanong, C.; Kaewunruen, S.; Remennikov, A. M.

2017-10-01

As the crosstie beam in railway track systems, the prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties) are principally designed in order to carry wheel loads from the rails to the ground. Their design takes into account static and dynamic loading conditions. It is evident that prestressed concrete has played a significant role as to maintain the high endurance of the sleepers under low to moderate repeated impact loads. In spite of the most common use of the prestressed concrete sleepers in railway tracks, there have always been many demands from rail engineers to improve serviceability and functionality of concrete sleepers. For example, signalling, fibre optic, equipment cables are often damaged either by ballast corners or by tamping machine. There has been a need to re-design concrete sleeper to cater cables internally so that they would not experience detrimental or harsh environments. Accordingly, this study will investigate the effects of through hole or longitudinal hole on static and dynamic behaviours of concrete sleepers under rail shock loading. The modified compression field theory for ultimate strength design of concrete sleepers will be highlighted in this study. The outcome of this study will enable the new design and calculation methods for prestressed concrete sleepers with holes and web opening that practically benefits civil, track and structural engineers in railway industry.

Proposal of an intelligent wayside monitoring system for detection of critical ice accumulations on railway vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelberger, Frank; Wagner, Adrian; Ostermann, Michael; Maly, Thomas

2017-09-01

At railway lines with ballasted tracks, under unfavourable conditions, the so-called flying ballast can occur predominantly for trains driving at high speeds. Especially in wintertime, it is highly likely that the causes are adhered snow or ice deposits, which are falling off the vehicle. Due to the high kinetic energy, the impact can lead to the removal of ballast stones from the structure of the ballasted track. If the stones reach the height of vehicles underside, they may be accelerated significantly due to the collision with the vehicle or may detach further ice blocks. In the worst case, a reinforcing effect occurs, which can lead to considerable damage to railway vehicles (under-floor-area, vehicle exteriors, etc.) and infrastructure (signal masts, noise barriers, etc.). Additionally the flying gravel is a significant danger to people in the nearby area of the tracks. With this feasibility study the applicability and meaningfulness of an intelligent monitoring system for identification of the critical ice accumulation to prevent the ballast fly induced by ice dropping was examined. The key findings of the research are that the detection of ice on railway vehicles and the development of an intelligent monitoring seem to be possible with existing technologies, but a proof of concept in terms of field tests is necessary.

Design and analysis of a magnetorheological damper for train suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Yiu-Kee; Liao, Wei-Hsin

2004-07-01

The development of high-speed railway vehicles has been a great interest of many countries because high-speed trains have been proven as an efficient and economical transportation means while minimizing air pollution. However, the high speed of the train would cause significant car body vibrations. Thus effective vibration control of the car body is needed to improve the ride comfort and safety of the railway vehicle. Various kinds of railway vehicle suspensions such as passive, active, and semi-active systems could be used to cushion passengers from vibrations. Among them, semi-active suspensions are believed to achieve high performance while maintaining system stable and fail-safe. In this paper, it is aimed to design a magnetorheological (MR) fluid damper, which is suitable for semi-active train suspension system in order to improve the ride quality. A double-ended MR damper is designed, fabricated, and tested. Then a model for the double-ended MR damper is integrated in the secondary suspension of a full-scale railway vehicle model. A semi-active on-off control strategy based on the absolute velocity measurement of the car body is adopted. The controlled performances are compared with other types of suspension systems. The results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the semi-active train suspension system with the developed MR dampers.

Propagation of variability in railway dynamic simulations: application to virtual homologation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funfschilling, Christine; Perrin, Guillaume; Kraft, Sönke

2012-01-01

Railway dynamic simulations are increasingly used to predict and analyse the behaviour of the vehicle and of the track during their whole life cycle. Up to now however, no simulation has been used in the certification procedure even if the expected benefits are important: cheaper and shorter procedures, more objectivity, better knowledge of the behaviour around critical situations. Deterministic simulations are nevertheless too poor to represent the whole physical of the track/vehicle system which contains several sources of variability: variability of the mechanical parameters of a train among a class of vehicles (mass, stiffness and damping of different suspensions), variability of the contact parameters (friction coefficient, wheel and rail profiles) and variability of the track design and quality. This variability plays an important role on the safety, on the ride quality, and thus on the certification criteria. When using the simulation for certification purposes, it seems therefore crucial to take into account the variability of the different inputs. The main goal of this article is thus to propose a method to introduce the variability in railway dynamics. A four-step method is described namely the definition of the stochastic problem, the modelling of the inputs variability, the propagation and the analysis of the output. Each step is illustrated with railway examples.

Simulations of wind erosion along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in north-central Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yingsha; Gao, Yanhong; Dong, Zhibao; Liu, Benli; Zhao, Lin

2018-06-01

Wind erosion along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway causes sand hazard and poses threats to the safety of trains and passengers. A coupled land-surface erosion model (Noah-MPWE) was developed to simulate the wind erosion along the railway. Comparison with the data from the 137Cs isotope analysis shows that this coupled model could simulate the mean erosion amount reasonably. The coupled model was then applied to eight sites along the railway to investigate the wind-erosion distribution and variations from 1979 to 2012. Factors affecting wind erosion spatially and temporally were assessed as well. Majority wind erosion occurs in the non-monsoon season from December to April of the next year except for the site located in desert. The region between Wudaoliang and Tanggula has higher wind erosion occurrences and soil lose amount because of higher frequency of strong wind and relatively lower soil moisture than other sites. Inter-annually, all sites present a significant decreasing trend of annual soil loss with an average rate of -0.18 kg m-2 a-1 in 1979-2012. Decreased frequency of strong wind, increased precipitation and soil moisture contribute to the reduction of wind erosion in 1979-2012. Snow cover duration and vegetation coverage also have great impact on the occurrence of wind erosion.

Analysis of the monitoring data of geomagnetic storm interference in the electrification system of a high-speed railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lianguang; Ge, Xiaoning; Zong, Wei; Zhou, You; Liu, Mingguang

2016-10-01

To study the impact of geomagnetic storm on the equipment of traction electrification system in the high-speed railway, geomagnetically induced current (GIC) monitoring devices were installed in the Hebi East traction power supply substation of the Beijing-Hong Kong Dedicated Passenger Line in January 2015, and GICs were captured during the two geomagnetic storms on 17 March and 23 June 2015. In order to investigate the GIC flow path, both in the track circuit and in the traction network adopting the autotransformer feeding system, a GIC monitor plan was proposed for the electrical system in the Hebi East traction power supply substation. This paper analyzes the correlation between the GIC captured on 17 March and the geomagnetic data obtained from the Malingshan Geomagnetic Observatory and presents a regression analysis between the measured GIC and the calculated geoelectric fields on 23 June in the high-speed railway. The maximum GICs measured in the track circuit are 1.08 A and 1.74 A during the two geomagnetic storms. We find that it is necessary to pay attention on the throttle transformers and track circuits, as the most sensitive elements responding to the extreme geomagnetic storms in the high-speed railway.

Bee Inspired Novel Optimization Algorithm and Mathematical Model for Effective and Efficient Route Planning in Railway System

PubMed Central

Leong, Kah Huo; Abdul-Rahman, Hamzah; Wang, Chen; Onn, Chiu Chuen

2016-01-01

Railway and metro transport systems (RS) are becoming one of the popular choices of transportation among people, especially those who live in urban cities. Urbanization and increasing population due to rapid development of economy in many cities are leading to a bigger demand for urban rail transit. Despite being a popular variant of Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), it appears that the universal formula or techniques to solve the problem are yet to be found. This paper aims to develop an optimization algorithm for optimum route selection to multiple destinations in RS before returning to the starting point. Bee foraging behaviour is examined to generate a reliable algorithm in railway TSP. The algorithm is then verified by comparing the results with the exact solutions in 10 test cases, and a numerical case study is designed to demonstrate the application with large size sample. It is tested to be efficient and effective in railway route planning as the tour can be completed within a certain period of time by using minimal resources. The findings further support the reliability of the algorithm and capability to solve the problems with different complexity. This algorithm can be used as a method to assist business practitioners making better decision in route planning. PMID:27930659

Bee Inspired Novel Optimization Algorithm and Mathematical Model for Effective and Efficient Route Planning in Railway System.

PubMed

Leong, Kah Huo; Abdul-Rahman, Hamzah; Wang, Chen; Onn, Chiu Chuen; Loo, Siaw-Chuing

2016-01-01

Railway and metro transport systems (RS) are becoming one of the popular choices of transportation among people, especially those who live in urban cities. Urbanization and increasing population due to rapid development of economy in many cities are leading to a bigger demand for urban rail transit. Despite being a popular variant of Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), it appears that the universal formula or techniques to solve the problem are yet to be found. This paper aims to develop an optimization algorithm for optimum route selection to multiple destinations in RS before returning to the starting point. Bee foraging behaviour is examined to generate a reliable algorithm in railway TSP. The algorithm is then verified by comparing the results with the exact solutions in 10 test cases, and a numerical case study is designed to demonstrate the application with large size sample. It is tested to be efficient and effective in railway route planning as the tour can be completed within a certain period of time by using minimal resources. The findings further support the reliability of the algorithm and capability to solve the problems with different complexity. This algorithm can be used as a method to assist business practitioners making better decision in route planning.

The relative importance of noise and vibration from railways.

PubMed

Howarth, H V; Griffin, M J

1990-06-01

An experiment was conducted to determine the subjective equivalence of railway noise and railway-induced building vibration, and hence the relative importance of the two stimuli. Six magnitudes of whole-body, vertical (z-axis) vibration and six levels of noise were presented simultaneously to each of 30 subjects in all 36 possible paired combinations. The stimuli were reproductions of the noise and vibration recorded inside a house during the passage of a train. The subjects were asked to indicate, after each presentation, which of the two stimuli (noise and vibration) they would prefer to be reduced. A seven-point scale was employed to indicate the total annoyance produced by the two stimuli. A subjective equivalence contour was determined from the levels at which 50% of the subjects preferred the reduction of noise and 50% preferred the reduction of vibration. The contour may be described by the relation L(AE) = 29.3 log10 VDV + 89.2, where L(AE) is the sound exposure level and VDV is the vibration dose value. This relation may be used to determine whether a reduction of noise or a reduction of vibration would be more beneficial to residents near railways. The total annoyance due to simultaneous noise and vibration was shown to depend on the magnitude of both stimuli.

Investigation of Bending Test Procedures for Engineered Polymer Composite Railroad Ties

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Test Procedures for Engineered Polymer Composite Railroad Ties Claire G. Ball CTL Group 5400 Old Orchard Road Skokie, IL 60077 Final report...track. Per- formance criteria have been developed and published in Chapter 30 of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance -of-Way Association’s...these ties were developed and published in Chap- ter 30 of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance -of-Way As- sociation (AREMA) Manual for

NDT of railway components using induction thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Netzelmann, U.; Walle, G.; Ehlen, A.; Lugin, S.; Finckbohner, M.; Bessert, S.

2016-02-01

Induction or eddy current thermography is used to detect surface cracks in ferritic steel. The technique is applied to detect surface cracks in rails from a moving test car. Cracks were detected at a train speed between 2 and 15 km/h. An automated demonstrator system for testing railway wheels after production is described. While the wheel is rotated, a robot guides the detection unit consisting of inductor and infrared camera over the surface.

[Extensive injuries due to high-tension electrical current].

PubMed

Tomásek, D; Königová, R; Snupárek, Z

1989-03-01

The authors submit a case of severe injury with high tension electric current. They emphasize the necessity of prevention of this injury which occurs most frequently when transformer stations are not adequately safeguarded, in case of inadequate protection when approaching trolley wires on the railway track, and when safety principles are not respected during work on the railway. The authors draw attention to the importance of immediate resuscitation and multidisciplinary comprehensive care.

Design of noise barrier inspection system for high-speed railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bingqian; Shao, Shuangyun; Feng, Qibo; Ma, Le; Cholryong, Kim

2016-10-01

The damage of noise barriers will highly reduce the transportation safety of the high-speed railway. In this paper, an online inspection system of noise barrier based on laser vision for the safety of high-speed railway is proposed. The inspection system, mainly consisted of a fast camera and a line laser, installed in the first carriage of the high-speed CIT(Composited Inspection Train).A Laser line was projected on the surface of the noise barriers and the images of the light line were received by the camera while the train is running at high speed. The distance between the inspection system and the noise barrier can be obtained based on laser triangulation principle. The results of field tests show that the proposed system can meet the need of high speed and high accuracy to get the contour distortion of the noise barriers.

Real-time monitoring of railway infrastructures using fibre Bragg grating sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roveri, N.; Carcaterra, A.; Sestieri, A.

2015-08-01

In this work we present the results of a field trial with a FBG sensor array system for the real time monitoring of railway traffic and for the structural health monitoring of both the railway track and train wheels. The test campaign is performed on the 2nd line of Milan metropolitan underground, employing more than 50 FBG sensors along 1.5 km of the rail track, where the trains are tested during daily passenger rail transport, with a roughly maximum speeds of 90 km/h. The measurements were continuatively performed for over 6 months, with a sampling frequency of about 400 Hz. The large amount of data/sensors allows a rather accurate statistical treatment of the measurement data and permits, with dedicated algorithms, the estimation of rail and wheel wear, key traffic parameters such as the number of axles, the train speed and load, and, in the next future, the detection of localized imperfections.

Review of Trackside Monitoring Solutions: From Strain Gages to Optical Fibre Sensors

PubMed Central

Kouroussis, Georges; Caucheteur, Christophe; Kinet, Damien; Alexandrou, Georgios; Verlinden, Olivier; Moeyaert, Véronique

2015-01-01

A review of recent research on structural monitoring in railway industry is proposed in this paper, with a special focus on stress-based solutions. After a brief analysis of the mechanical behaviour of ballasted railway tracks, an overview of the most common monitoring techniques is presented. A special attention is paid on strain gages and accelerometers for which the accurate mounting position on the track is requisite. These types of solution are then compared to another modern approach based on the use of optical fibres. Besides, an in-depth discussion is made on the evolution of numerical models that investigate the interaction between railway vehicles and tracks. These models are used to validate experimental devices and to predict the best location(s) of the sensors. It is hoped that this review article will stimulate further research activities in this continuously expanding field. PMID:26287207

Profile of child labor in Indian railways.

PubMed

Mondal, Rakesh; Sarkar, Sumantra; Bhattacharya, Somnath; Sabui, Tapas; Mandal, Kalyanbrata; Ghosh, Jayanta; Bag, Toshibananda; Kumar, Nitish; Nandi, Madhumita

2012-10-01

To determine the socio-medical profile of child workers in Indian railways. This was a prospective longitudinal survey over one year. The children up to the age of 14 y entering the reserved second class sleeper compartment of long distance trains in Indian railways were included. The data were collected regarding their profile by the investigators either by interviewing or observation as per situation in the moving train in a predesigned proforma. Data pertaining to the social, demographic and medical aspects were collected. A total of eighty one children were noted in 22500 kilometers of train journey. Sex distribution (8:1) was unequal with males outnumbering females. This study, first of its kind, attempted to delineate a distinctive socio-medical profile in a special group of children. It might, on the behalf of social pediatrics, increase the awareness and help the society to formulate a rehabilitation policy in collaboration with national and international organizations.

Application of Classical Land Surveying Measurement Methods for Determining the Vertical Displacement of Railway Bridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawronek, Pelagia; Makuch, Maria

2017-12-01

The classical measurements of stability of railway bridge, in the context of determining the vertical displacements of the object, consisted on precise leveling of girders and trigonometric leveling of controlled points (fixed into girders' surface). The construction elements, which were measured in two ways, in real terms belonged to the same vertical planes. Altitude measurements of construction were carried out during periodic structural stability tests and during static load tests of bridge by train. The specificity of displacement measurements, the type of measured object and the rail land surveying measurement conditions were determinants to define methodology of altitude measurement. The article presents compatibility of vertical displacements of steel railway bridge, which were developed in two measurement methods. In conclusion, the authors proposed the optimum concept of determining the vertical displacements of girders by using precise and trigonometric leveling (in terms of accuracy, safety and economy of measurement).

Incentive-Compatible Robust Line Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessas, Apostolos; Kontogiannis, Spyros; Zaroliagis, Christos

The problem of robust line planning requests for a set of origin-destination paths (lines) along with their frequencies in an underlying railway network infrastructure, which are robust to fluctuations of real-time parameters of the solution. In this work, we investigate a variant of robust line planning stemming from recent regulations in the railway sector that introduce competition and free railway markets, and set up a new application scenario: there is a (potentially large) number of line operators that have their lines fixed and operate as competing entities issuing frequency requests, while the management of the infrastructure itself remains the responsibility of a single entity, the network operator. The line operators are typically unwilling to reveal their true incentives, while the network operator strives to ensure a fair (or socially optimal) usage of the infrastructure, e.g., by maximizing the (unknown to him) aggregate incentives of the line operators.

A framework to support human factors of automation in railway intelligent infrastructure.

PubMed

Dadashi, Nastaran; Wilson, John R; Golightly, David; Sharples, Sarah

2014-01-01

Technological and organisational advances have increased the potential for remote access and proactive monitoring of the infrastructure in various domains and sectors - water and sewage, oil and gas and transport. Intelligent Infrastructure (II) is an architecture that potentially enables the generation of timely and relevant information about the state of any type of infrastructure asset, providing a basis for reliable decision-making. This paper reports an exploratory study to understand the concepts and human factors associated with II in the railway, largely drawing from structured interviews with key industry decision-makers and attachment to pilot projects. Outputs from the study include a data-processing framework defining the key human factors at different levels of the data structure within a railway II system and a system-level representation. The framework and other study findings will form a basis for human factors contributions to systems design elements such as information interfaces and role specifications.

Time-Dependent Topology of Railway Prestressed Concrete Sleepers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dan; Ngamkhanong, Chayut; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat

2017-10-01

The railway sleepers are very important component of railway track structure. The sleepers can be manufactured by using timber, concrete, steel or other engineered materials. Nowadays, prestressed concrete has become most commonly used type of sleepers. Prestressed concrete sleepers have longer life-cycle and lower maintenance cost than reinforced concrete sleepers. They are expected to withstand high dynamic loads and harsh environments. However, durability and long-term performance of prestressed concrete sleepers are largely dependent on creep and shrinkage responses. This study investigates the long-term behaviours of prestressed concrete sleepers and proposes the shortening and deflection diagrams. Comparison between design codes of Eurocode 2 and AS3600-2009 provides the insight into the time-dependent performance of prestressed concrete sleepers. The outcome of this paper will improve the rail maintenance and inspection criteria in order to establish appropriate sensible remote track condition monitor network in practice.